By Sarah Ezeh
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers and recovered firearms, ammunition and other items believed to have been used in criminal operations during separate security raids across the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrests, said the operations were part of the Command’s sustained offensive against kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes.
Ikenga said the intensified crackdown on criminal elements had yielded major breakthroughs, with four suspected kidnappers arrested in connection with separate kidnapping and robbery incidents.
He disclosed that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on July 15, 2026, arrested 32-year-old Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, popularly known as “Bone.”
According to him, the arrest was made during an ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of a victim at Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State.
He said the victim was abducted, robbed and forced to pay ransom before being released.
A search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of one locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, an axe and an Itel Android phone containing the victim’s photograph as its screensaver.
Ikenga said the suspect allegedly confessed to involvement in the crime, adding that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the gang still at large.
In a separate operation on July 16, 2026, operatives of the RRS Awkuzu, working with detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, foiled an alleged kidnap attempt in Ogbaru.
The police spokesperson said three suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate were arrested during the operation, while a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and Lagos registration number LND 789HR, allegedly used by the suspects, was recovered.
The arrested suspects were identified as Chekwube Chukwu, 32; Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34; and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30.
Ikenga said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were intercepted while allegedly attempting to abduct a female Point-of-Sale (POS) operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani.
He explained that the victim raised an alarm, attracting the attention of residents who alerted the police, leading to a swift intervention that prevented the abduction and resulted in the arrest of the suspects.
Further investigations, he said, linked the suspects to the June 3 kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha.
The victim, according to Ikenga, was dispossessed of two POS machines and Android phones before being compelled to pay a ransom of N3.5 million for her release.
He added that the suspects allegedly confessed during interrogation and were providing useful information to help investigators identify other members of the syndicate and suspected receivers of stolen property.
“These operations underscore the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and improving public safety,” Ikenga said.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to provide credible information to security agencies to enhance security across the state.
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