The Anambra State Police Command has made significant progress in the fight against criminal activities with the arrest of two suspected cultists and armed robbers, the rescue of two rape victims, and the recovery of firearms and vandalized materials.
Police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Squad in Enugu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area, acting on credible intelligence, raided a black spot in Umunaga Village, Awka South Local Government Area, on the evening of Saturday, December 7, 2024. During the operation, two suspects—Okechukwu Chinwuko, 27, of Umunaga Village, and Ezenwa Chinedu, 22, of Umuneri Village—were apprehended.
Items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action gun, four live cartridges, a cutlass, criminal charms, and substances suspected to be hard drugs. The police also rescued two female victims who were reportedly subjected to sexual abuse by the suspects.
SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Anambra State Command, confirmed the arrests and stated that the suspects are currently undergoing interrogation. “Further details regarding their modus operandi will be communicated in due course,” he said.
In a separate operation on the same day, police operatives from Igbo-Ukwu Divisional Headquarters recovered an abandoned white Peugeot J5 Boxer bus (Registration No. AKL 896 XB) and a range of stolen materials, including a vandalized Lister electricity generator, pipes, a roller, and tools such as a plier, screwdriver, and metal cutter.
The recovery followed a failed attempt by suspected economic saboteurs to vandalize the Lister Model Electricity Generator attached to an MTN mast opposite Saint Martin’s Catholic Church in Umudege, Igbo-Ukwu. The suspects fled upon sighting the police team.
Efforts are underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects, and the police are calling on residents to provide any information that could assist in the investigation.
The Anambra State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents while urging community members to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.