The Imo state police command on Friday disclosed that it had arrested the leader of a court group over the beheading of a retired Chief Superintendent of Police, Christian Kpatuma.

A statement issued by the spokesperson for the command, Micheal Abattam, disclosed that the suspect, Deberechi Chukwu, was part of the inmates who escaped from the Owerri Correctional Centre on April 5, 2021.

Abattam said that after escaping from the prison facility, the suspect recruited boys and went to be killing and maiming residents of Agwa in the Oguta Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson said that Chukwu was running out of the state after killing the retired CSP but was arrested by operatives of the command.

The statement read “Sequel to a report of a case of Murder received by the Agwa Divisional Police Headquarters that, on 01/02/2022 at about 2152 hours, a group of young men suspected to be cultist resident in Mgbala Community Agwa in Oguta LGA of Imo State, conspired amongst themselves went to the house of one Christian Kpatuma, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police and a native of Mobile, abducted and took him to a nearby bush where they killed him and later carried the corpse back and dump it in front of his compound.

“On receipt of the information, the Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, CP Rabiu Hussaini psc, immediately dispatched the ever active and gallant command’s tactical teams to the Agwa Community with a mandate to fish out the perpetrators of this dastardly act.

“On arrival, the teams commenced a discreet investigation. And after a diligent gathering of both forensic and technical intelligence, one of the suspects, Deberechi Chukwu, the leader of the cult group that killed the retired police officer, CSP Christian Kpatuma was arrested while escaping to a border state.

“In the course of Investigation, it was revealed that the suspect, Deberechi Chukwu is a notorious kidnapper and an escapee from the Imo Correctional Center Owerri, Imo State. The suspect, after escaping from the Imo Correctional Centre, recruited young men into his cult group and they were terrorising the Agwa community. It is also, on record that, he was involved in the killings of a lot of security personnel in the state. However, he has made useful statements and has volunteered to assist the police in the arrest of other members of his gang presently, on the run.

“Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Imo Command, Rabiu Hussaini, while commending the officers and men for their gallantry and prompt action, urged them to intensify efforts in ensuring that the other suspects are arrested. He then advised the good people of the Community and the Vigilante Groups to work in collaboration with the police and give credible information that will assist in the arrest of other suspects.”