The Anambra State Police Command has dealt another blow to kidnapping and armed robbery networks operating in the state, arresting four suspected members of a criminal syndicate in separate intelligence-led operations that also foiled a fresh abduction attempt and led to the recovery of a locally fabricated firearm, live ammunition and other incriminating items.
The arrests, announced on Sunday in the command’s weekly security review, underscore what police described as an intensified crackdown on violent criminal gangs terrorising communities in Anambra and neighbouring states.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on July 15 arrested 32-year-old Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, popularly known as “Bone”, over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping of a victim in Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State.
Police said investigations revealed that the victim was abducted, robbed and forced to pay ransom before regaining freedom.
A search conducted on the suspect allegedly yielded a locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, an axe and an Itel Android phone bearing the victim’s photograph as its screensaver.
Investigators said the suspect confessed to participating in the crime, while security operatives have launched a manhunt for other fleeing members of the gang.
In a separate operation on July 16, officers of the RRS, working alongside detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, foiled what police described as an imminent kidnap attempt in Ogbaru Local Government Area.
The operation resulted in the arrest of three suspects identified as Chekwube Chukwu, 32; Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34; and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30.
Police also recovered a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows bearing Lagos registration number LND 789HR, believed to have been used by the suspects during their operations.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects were intercepted while allegedly attempting to abduct a female Point of Sale (POS) operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani.
The planned abduction was reportedly thwarted after the victim raised an alarm, attracting residents and prompting a swift police response following a distress call.
“The timely intervention frustrated the kidnap attempt, leading to the rescue of the victim and subsequent arrest of the suspects,” the police said.
Further investigations linked the suspects to the abduction of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha, on June 3, 2026.
Police alleged that the victim was kidnapped, stripped of two POS machines and Android phones, and forced to pay a ransom of ₦3.5 million before she was released.
The suspects were said to have confessed to the crime and are currently assisting investigators in identifying alleged receivers of stolen property and other members of the kidnapping syndicate.
The Anambra State Police Command said the successful operations reflect its sustained offensive against organised criminal groups and reaffirmed its commitment to dismantling kidnapping networks threatening public safety.
The command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible and timely information that would aid security agencies in tracking down criminals and preventing further attacks.