Combined security operatives have apprehended four individuals who frequently posed as kidnappers, threatening to abduct residents unless they paid a ransom in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The police spokesperson for the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, stated in a statement on Friday that the suspects regularly issued threats to inhabitants of communities within the councilarea, which has been notably affected by rising insecurity in Anambra State.
Superintendent Ikenga identified the arrested individuals as Chimezie Ezebuo, Chinaza Ndimani, Chinecherem Okafor, and Nzube Azubuike, all of whom are natives of Okohia, a community in the Ihiala Council Area.
He revealed that the joint security team apprehended the suspects on Thursday, April 10, 2025, following a “painstaking investigation by the Joint Security Force in Ihiala acting on information received over time of faceless individuals/Criminals threatening kidnapping/Abduction, violence and cyberstalking to innocent individuals in the State, especially in Ihiala.”
According to Mr Ikenga, all suspects have confessed to their involvement in the crime and are currently in custody for further questioning.
“The operatives recovered phones and SIM cards used by the suspects to threaten their victims, thereby causing panic in the area and jeopardising the efforts of the security agencies and the general security of the state,” he stated.
Mr Ikenga emphasised that the police command is dedicated to maintaining public safety and ensuring that individuals who incite fear or disturb public peace are held accountable for their actions.
He further noted that the command has observed an improvement in security within the Ihiala Council Area, commending residents for their help in identifying “bad elements” in the community.
