*recover firearms, ammunition, vehicles used in kidnapping syndicate operations
By Florencemary Nwabueze
In a significant breakthrough against violent crime in Anambra State, police operatives have arrested four suspected kidnappers in separate operations, recovering locally fabricated pistols, ammunition, and other incriminating items.
According to the command Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga in a statement on Sunday, in the afternoon of July 15, 2026, operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in Awkuzu arrested 32-year-old Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, also known as "Bone." The arrest came as part of an ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of a victim at Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State.
The victim was allegedly abducted, robbed, and forced to pay a ransom before being released. During a search of the suspect, police recovered one locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, one axe, and an Itel Android phone displaying the victim's photograph as its screensaver.
The suspect has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, and police say efforts are ongoing to apprehend other gang members who remain at large.
In a related development on the evening of July 16, 2026, operatives from the RRS Awkuzu, working alongside detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, thwarted a suspected kidnap plot at Ogbaru.
The team arrested three male suspects believed to be members of a kidnapping syndicate and recovered a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and Lagos registration number LND 789HR, which police say was used by the gang for their operations.
The suspects were identified as: Chekwube Chukwu, 32, Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34, Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30
Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were intercepted while attempting to abduct a female Point of Sale (POS) operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani, on the morning of July 16. The victim raised an alarm that attracted residents' attention and prompted a swift police response following a distress call.
The timely intervention frustrated the kidnap attempt, leading to the rescue of the victim and the subsequent arrest of the suspects.
Further investigation has linked the suspects to an earlier kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha, on June 3, 2026. In that incident, the victim was abducted, robbed of two POS machines and Android phones, and forced to pay a ransom of three million five hundred thousand naira (N3,500,000) before her release.
Police further revealed that during interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crimes and are currently providing useful information to assist police in identifying and arresting their criminal receivers and other syndicate members operating within the state.
The command, described the operations as underscoring the command's commitment to dismantling criminal networks and improving public safety.
The command further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the police with timely and credible information to enhance security across the state.