Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) have recovered two AK-47 rifle magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and other police-related items during a raid on a suspected cultists’ hideout in Awada, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The operation, carried out on the evening of June 20, targeted a notorious black spot on Nwaziki Street, Awada, long suspected to be a base for cult-related criminal activities.
In a statement issued on Friday, the Anambra State Police Command said although the suspects fled before the operatives arrived, several incriminating items were recovered from the hideout.
According to the statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, investigators have launched a manhunt to identify and apprehend the fleeing suspects while also establishing the ownership of the recovered weapons and police-related exhibits.
The command said the ongoing investigation is also aimed at dismantling any criminal network linked to the items recovered during the intelligence-led operation.
Commending the operatives for the successful raid, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, praised their professionalism and commitment to intelligence-driven policing.
According to the police commissioner, the operation underscores the command’s determination to rid the state of violent criminal groups and their operational bases.
Orutugu reaffirmed the command’s resolve to sustain aggressive raids against cultists and other criminal elements across Anambra State, stressing that security operatives would continue to intensify operations until all criminal enclaves are dismantled and those responsible brought to justice.
