The Imo Police Command said on Friday that three of the five-man gang that allegedly kidnapped the wife of the traditional ruler of Nkwumeto community had been arrested.
A statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Joy Elemoko, said the suspects were arrested 48 hours after the incident.
“Imo Police Command wants to state that within 48 hours of the incident, the principal suspects were traced to their hideouts and arrested,’’ the statement said.
According to the statement, the police are able to track the suspects as they were negotiating the ransom.
It said that one of them was killed, three were arrested while the fifth suspect escaped.
The command appealed to members of the public to give useful information that would lead to the arrest of one Nwagbisi and advised him to report to the nearest police station.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Katsina, said that anybody that had the knowledge of the whereabouts of any criminal elements but failed to report it would be treated as an accomplice.
Gunmen had kidnapped the wife of Eze Basil Nwokeke of Nkwumeto autonomous community, Ihitte Uboma Local Government Area.