Five men suspected of stealing vehicle batteries from motorists under the pretence of working for the Enugu State Ministry of Transport have been arrested. The arrests followed a coordinated operation led by the Commander of the Enugu State Traffic Management Authority (ESTMA), Kenneth Aniebonam Ugwu, in response to complaints from motorists and a viral video involving the suspected activities of the group.
The suspects claimed to be working for a contractor engaged by the Ministry to manage traffic in parts of the Enugu metropolis. However, preliminary checks revealed that there is no record of them in the Ministry’s personnel database or register of authorised traffic officers.
According to the ESTMA Commander, Kenneth Ugwe, the arrested suspects gave their names as Uchenna Ezema, Ejike Emmanuel, Nwankwo Stephen, Shedrack Okoro and Chinenye Jacob.
“They have been handed over to the Enugu Metropolitan Area Command of the Nigeria Police Force for further investigation and possible prosecution. The Ministry of Transport wishes to assure members of the public that it will not hold back in identifying and tracking down any individual or group attempting to undermine its work or extort motorists under the guise of working for the Ministry.
“Members of the public are encouraged to report suspicious activities involving persons claiming to be Ministry officials and, where possible, provide relevant evidence to support prompt investigation and appropriate action,” Ugwu said.
