The recovered items…credit: Police
The Anambra State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing security operations with the arrest of three suspected armed robbers and cultists, alongside the recovery of weapons, ammunition, and a stolen petrol tanker in separate incidents across the state.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspects were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, during a raid carried out on March 21, 2026.
Ikenga explained that the operation was intelligence-driven, leading officers to storm a suspected criminal hideout in Ogidi, located in Idemili North Local Government Area.
The police identified the suspects as Francis Chukwuka Anene (46), Emmanuel Obi (29), and Okoye Chinonso (35), who is alleged to be a serving member of a security agency.
Items recovered during the raid include two locally fabricated Beretta pistols, four rounds of live 9mm ammunition, and a suspected fake security identity card.
Preliminary investigations, according to the police, suggest that the suspects are part of a criminal network believed to be responsible for armed robbery, kidnapping, and terrorising residents in Ogidi and surrounding communities.
The statement further revealed that the suspects are also being investigated in connection with the killing of the late President General of Ogidi, indicating the possibility of a wider criminal operation.
In a separate operation, police attached to the Ozubulu Division recovered a suspected stolen white trailer tanker along the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway in the early hours of March 17, 2026. The vehicle was reportedly abandoned without a registration number, with its key still in the ignition.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to identify the rightful owner of the tanker and determine the circumstances surrounding its abandonment.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, has reassured residents of the Command’s commitment to maintaining security across the state. He also urged members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to assist ongoing investigations.
This development comes shortly after the Command recorded another breakthrough involving the arrest of two suspects in a staged kidnapping case, where a victim’s boyfriend allegedly collaborated in extorting ₦240,000 from her parents.
The police say these recent successes reflect intensified efforts to combat crime and improve safety across Anambra State.
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