About 30 suspects, including kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists and hoodlums who had been terrorising Anambra State have been arrested, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Aderemi Adeoye, has disclosed.
Adeoye made this known in a press briefing at the police headquarters in Awka, on Monday, while parading some of the suspects and recovered items, adding that the arrests were made between December 1, 2023 and now.
He also said two abducted victims were rescued during different confrontations with the criminal elements, while some police officers were also injured.
He explained that among the 30 criminal suspects arrested were 12 kidnapped suspects, nine armed robbery suspects, six cult members and three insurgents, adding that they were arrested at different locations based on tip-offs.
He added that 11 stolen vehicles, 12 firearms and 40 live ammunition were recovered from the criminal groups.
He said, “We sacrificed our Christmas and New Year celebrations to make sure Anambra State was safe. It is our delight that people have peaceful celebration.
“It will interest the public to also note how the command launched a man-hunt and went after those criminals that killed two police officers from the Enugu State Police Command at Uga Roundabout, Aguata LGA, on December 28, 2023.
“On December 31, 2023, the command went after them at their camp in Ogboji in Orumba South Local Government Area, where three of them were gunned down. In the process, two police officers were also injured and they are right now receiving treatment.
“In that encounter, we rescued a 51-year-old man who was abducted on the day the attack was launched. After that encounter, we have not had any other encounter in the state. We will not relent until every one of the insurgents is hunted down.
“During the Christmas celebrations, we did not want to bother the public about the successes we had recorded, but now that everyone is in a relaxed mood, we called you to update you on the successes we have recorded in our fight against the criminal insurgents.
“The command since December 1, 2023, so far, has arrested 12 kidnap suspects, nine armed robbery suspects, six cultists and three insurgents. Also, 11 stolen vehicles, 12 firearms and 40 live ammunition were recovered from the criminal groups in the period under review,” he stressed.
According to him, the suspects were dislodged after a manhunt was launched against them after carrying out intelligence gathering on their modus operandi.
“The New Year has started on a good note for the command, there is peace and there is tranquillity in Anambra, but the only problem in the state now is the
huge traffic congestion we are witnessing here and there.
“The fact that people can go from place to place without any fear of harassment gives us joy. I thank the media for the visibility of our activities and we promise to continue with the work we are doing. We will continue to tell you the true report of things without any embellishment,” he added.
Among some of the arrests highlighted by the CP was the arrest of one Samson Ubon ‘m’, aged 31 years of Makwumi village Obosi and Efobi Ekene ‘m’, aged 29 years of Ugamuma village, Obosi, on December 5, 2023 at about 11:30hrs, by the operatives attached to the Rapid Response/Anti-Kidnap Squad in collaboration with the Obosi vigilante men.
