A 26-year-old man, Ogaga Kome, has been arrested by Delta State Police Command for shooting an 11-year-old boy, Hossanna Merritt, to death while he was testing a locally-made gun in his house.
The incident occurred at Ozoro Community on Monday, August 22, 2022.
According to the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Bright Edafe, who spoke on the suspect’s arrest, Kome fled immediately he knew he had landed himself in trouble, which made the police command to alert members of the public after the incident was reported to the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Ozoro Police Station.
The command also solicited for information that would aid the arrest of the suspect, the PPRO said.
He stated further that on Tuesday, August 30, at about 1:05pm, a well-meaning individual who is also a relative of the suspect brought him to the police station.
“The suspect is in custody and investigation is ongoing,” DSP Edafe added.
Also, a principal suspect, Iyegbunuwe Oluchukwu, was arrested, along with two others, over a stolen unregistered motorcycle after the case was reported reported by an indigene of Onicha-Uku on August 25, at about 8am.
The PPRO said that the report made the DPO Issele-Uku Division to detail detectives to investigate.
“An intelligence-led investigation culminated in the arrest of the prime suspect who led the detectives to their hideout at Onicha-Ugbo in Aniocha North Local Government Area , where two other suspects – one Okwudili Ozah and Esther Nwoko – were arrested,” the police spokesman stated.
Recovered from the suspects were an English revolver pistol, 15 rounds of live ammunition and six expended ammunition.
The suspects were accused of stealing the motorcycle at gun point, with it suspected to be in possession of their accomplice, one Chidinma Nwoko who is Esther Nwoko’s husband.
Edafe said that efforts were being made to arrest the other members of the gang.
In his comment, the state Commissioner of Ari Muhammed Ali, expressed appreciation on the efforts of the state residents who had been supportive to the police in combating crime, urging them to sustain the tempo.
The police commissioner also advised members of the public to monitor their environment and report any suspicious persons or movements to the police.
