The Anambra State Police Command has recorded fresh operational gains in its ongoing crackdown on crime, with the arrest of three suspected armed robbers and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, and a stolen petrol tanker in separate operations across the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a criminal hideout in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
He disclosed that three suspects — Francis Chukwuka Anene (46), Emmanuel Obi (29), and Okoye Chinonso (35), who is allegedly a serving member of a security agency — were arrested during the operation.
“Items recovered from the suspects include two locally made Beretta pistols, four rounds of live 9mm ammunition, and a suspected fake security agency identity card,” Ikenga said.
According to him, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects are part of a criminal syndicate involved in armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes in Ogidi and surrounding communities.
“The suspects are also being investigated for possible involvement in the gruesome murder of the late President General of Ogidi,” he added.
In a separate operation, the police recovered a suspected stolen white trailer tanker abandoned along the Onitsha–Owerri Expressway in the early hours of March 17.
“The vehicle was found without a registration number and with the key in the ignition, reportedly abandoned by an unidentified individual,” Ikenga stated.
He noted that efforts are ongoing to trace the owner of the tanker and unravel the circumstances surrounding its abandonment, while investigations into both incidents continue.
The Commissioner of Police, Ikioye Orutugu, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining safety across the state and urged residents to support security agencies with timely and credible information.
