
The Anambra State Police Command has announced the arrest of a suspected cultist believed to be part of a gang planning to unleash violence in Nibo, a community in Awka South Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, revealed that operatives attached to the Special Anti-Cultism Squad apprehended the suspect during a raid on the gang’s hideout on Friday. The operation also led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle and a magazine.
Ikenga explained that efforts are ongoing to track down the other members of the gang who managed to evade capture. “Police operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested an 18-year-old suspect, Miracle Mwakalor, from Umubele village in Awka South Local Government Area. The operation, conducted on December 6, 2024, around 2:30 PM, disrupted the gang’s plans to wreak havoc in Nibo,” he said.

During interrogation, the suspect reportedly confessed to the crime and led police to an apartment in Ubuofu, Awka, where the recovered rifle had been concealed in the roof. Ikenga assured the public that efforts are being intensified to apprehend the fleeing gang members, adding that further updates will be provided as investigations progress.
This development follows a violent episode in October in the same area, where at least 13 individuals lost their lives in cult-related clashes during the Nibo community’s New Yam Festival, also known as the ‘Nibo Onwa Asaa Festival.’ The clashes, which also affected Nodu-Okpuno Village, disrupted peace across several parts of Awka South Local Government Area.
In another statement, SP Ikenga disclosed that the Command recovered several stolen vehicles during separate operations over the past two weeks. The vehicles include:
- A red Toyota Corolla with registration number ENUGU – AGN 409 AA
- An unregistered Lexus ES 350 (ash color)
- A blue Mitsubishi Hilux with registration number GDD 440 TJ
- A Lexus ES 330 (ash color) with registration number ACA 551 MA
- A grey Toyota Highlander Jeep with registration number SMK 544 GP
Ikenga urged anyone searching for any of these vehicles to visit the Police Public Relations Office in Awka with valid proof of ownership for verification and possible retrieval.
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