The Anambra State Police Command has announced fresh breakthroughs in its fight against crime, following the arrest of three suspects linked to car snatching, diversion of trucks, and a child-stealing syndicate in separate operations across the state.
Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the developments in a statement on Thursday, said the operations were made possible through enhanced security patrols, strategic positioning, and collaboration with community stakeholders under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu.
On 23rd September 2025, at about 12:38 p.m., a joint team of police operatives from Achalla Division and the Special Vigilante Taskforce arrested two men, identified as Chinwendu Ndieli and Uchenna Offodile. The suspects were apprehended near St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Achalla, where a Mack truck with registration number T 5003 LA, carrying an empty container, had been abandoned.
Investigations revealed that the truck was stolen from a company in Lagos. The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime, and the rightful owner of the vehicle has been contacted to reclaim it with the necessary documents.
In another operation, officers from Okpoko Division responded to intelligence on an abandoned vehicle along the Onitsha–Owerri Road, opposite Tiger Fruit Company. The team, led by the Divisional Police Officer, recovered a white Toyota Camry Spider with registration number AWK 91 SR (Anambra). An additional plate number, 06A 90 DT (Delta), was found inside the car, which has since been secured at the station for identification by the owner.
The same evening, youths in Akwa Village, Ihiala, assisted police operatives in arresting a suspect, Charles Chiemerie Onuigbo, over the abduction of three children aged six, three, and two. Preliminary investigations revealed that Onuigbo, along with two accomplices currently at large, conspired to abduct the children while they were eating outside their home. Their mother reportedly stepped into the kitchen briefly and returned to find them missing.
According to police, Onuigbo, who is a neighbour of the victims, had allegedly harboured the fleeing suspects. He was attacked by angry residents before being rescued by operatives and taken into custody. The case is under investigation, while efforts are ongoing to track down the other suspects and recover the missing children.
SP Ikenga assured that other parts of the state remain calm, adding that counter-terrorism and crime prevention operations are continuing across Anambra.