The Anambra State Police Command has arrested another suspect in connection with an ongoing investigation into kidnapping, armed robbery and cult-related crimes in Awka, where a ransom of ₦1 million was allegedly collected.
In a statement issued on 18 February 2026, the Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) Awkuzu arrested 32-year-old Ifeanyi Ekemezie in the early hours of 17 February 2026 at Isuaniocha.
Ikenga said the arrest followed an earlier breakthrough on 13 February 2026, when police apprehended 33-year-old Ndubuisi Anyakaku, whose bank account was allegedly used to receive a ₦1,000,000 ransom from a kidnapped victim in Awka.
According to the police spokesman, the case stemmed from an incident on 31 December 2025, when a victim was attacked at his residence in Amansea.
“The victim was attacked, robbed and kidnapped at his residence in Amansea. During the attack, his Toyota Highlander Jeep was carted away, and the sum of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000) was transferred from his bank account. The victim was shot in the leg and later abandoned at an unknown location before he was subsequently rescued,” Ikenga stated.
He disclosed that during interrogation, Ekemezie confessed to being a member of a three-man criminal gang specialising in kidnapping and car snatching within Awka and its environs.
“During interrogation, Ifeanyi Ekemezie confessed to being a member of a three-man criminal gang that specializes in kidnapping and car snatching within Awka and its environs. He further admitted to being a member of the notorious Vikings Confraternity and to participating in various cult-related killings in Awka,” the statement added.
Ikenga said the Command has intensified efforts to arrest other members of the gang who remain at large and to recover their operational weapons.
“Further developments will be communicated in due course,” he said.
