AWKA, Nigeria — The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers involved in separate kidnapping and armed robbery incidents across the state, recovering a locally fabricated pistol and other incriminating items, while also foiling a kidnap plot in Ogbaru Local Government Area.
The police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday, saying the arrests were part of the ongoing security review and sustained offensive against violent crimes in the state, including cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping, homicide, banditry, sexual offences and drug-related crimes.
According to the statement, operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, in collaboration with detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, carried out the operations across different locations.
In the first operation, police operatives arrested Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, alias “Bone,” aged 32, in continuation of the ongoing investigation into the kidnapping of a victim in Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State, who was abducted, robbed and forced to pay a ransom before regaining his freedom.
During a search of the suspect, the operatives recovered one locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, one axe and one Itel Android phone bearing the victim’s photograph as its screensaver. The suspect allegedly confessed to his involvement in the crime, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang currently at large.
In a related development, operatives foiled a suspected kidnap plot in Ogbaru on the evening of July 16, 2026, arresting three male suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate. The suspects were intercepted while allegedly attempting to abduct a female POS operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani.
A preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were intercepted after the victim raised an alarm, which attracted the attention of residents 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.
The suspects were identified as Chekwube Chukwu, 32; Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34; and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30. Recovered from them was a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and Lagos registration number LND 789HR, believed to have been used by the gang for its operations.
Further investigation linked the suspects to the earlier kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha, on June 3, 2026, during which she was abducted, dispossessed of two POS machines and Android phones, and compelled to pay a ransom of N3.5 million before she was released. During interrogation, the suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the crimes and are currently providing useful information to assist the police in identifying and arresting their criminal receivers and other members of the syndicate operating within the state.
The operations underscore the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and improving public safety. The police have 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.
