The Imo State Police Command has dismissed three of its officers for their alleged involvement in armed robbery, kidnapping, and car snatching.

The dismissed officers are Sgt. Ekwueme Gift, Sgt. Eto Ikechukwu, and Cpl. Divine Ogwuaru. Their dismissal followed an orderly room trial that found them guilty of multiple offences, including impersonation.

A civilian accomplice, Elias Chukwu, who reportedly acted as the driver during the operation, has also been charged alongside the dismissed officers.

According to police reports, the suspects carried out the crime on February 8, 2026, along Mbaise Road in Owerri, allegedly robbing residents at gunpoint and snatching a vehicle. The stolen car was later tracked to the Owerri-Onitsha Road, where the suspects were allegedly attempting to dispose of it before being apprehended.

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Police sources revealed that the officers were not officially on patrol that day and had falsely presented themselves as members of the Tiger Base Unit of the Command while committing the offences.

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The acts were determined to be contrary to Paragraph E (i) and (iii) of the First Schedule of the Police Act and Regulation 370, punishable under Regulation 371 of the Nigeria Police Act 2020, as amended.

Imo State Police Commissioner CP Audu Bosso reiterated his administration’s zero tolerance for corruption and unprofessional conduct, directing the Command’s Legal Department to ensure the immediate arraignment of the suspects in court.

“It will no longer be business as usual for erring officers in this command. Any officer found culpable of misconduct or criminality will face the full weight of the law,” he said. Bosso also called on the public to provide credible information that would assist the Command in sanitising the system, assuring that more officers under investigation would face similar disciplinary action if found guilty.

Police Public Relations Officer DSP Henry Okoye explained that the officers were swiftly apprehended, thoroughly investigated, and summarily dismissed in line with extant laws guiding the conduct of personnel of the Nigeria Police Force. “The suspects have to be charged to court to answer for the charges levelled against them,” he added.

Okoye noted that the action underscores the Command’s commitment to accountability, professionalism, and the restoration of public confidence. He further encouraged residents to report cases of police misconduct through the Command’s Complaint Response Unit Desk line: 08148024755, assuring that all reports would be treated with utmost confidentiality.