Odita Sunday 
Police Arrest Four Suspected Kidnappers in Anambra, Recover Pistol, Ammunition
By Odita Sunday
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers in separate operations across the state, recovering a locally fabricated pistol, live ammunition, an axe and a vehicle allegedly used for kidnapping activities.
The command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, saying the arrests were made during ongoing operations aimed at combating violent crimes and dismantling criminal networks in the state.
According to him, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on July 15 arrested a 32-year-old suspect, Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, also known as “Bone,” in connection with the abduction of a victim in Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State.
Ikenga said the victim was kidnapped, robbed and forced to pay ransom before regaining freedom.
He said a search of the suspect led to the recovery of a locally fabricated pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, an axe and an Itel Android phone bearing the victim’s photograph as its screensaver.
”The suspect confessed to his involvement in the crime, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang currently at large,” the police spokesman said.
In another operation on July 16, operatives of the RRS, working with detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, foiled an alleged kidnap attempt at Ogbaru and arrested three suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate.
The suspects were identified as Chekwube Chukwu, 32; Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34; and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30.
Police also recovered a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows and Lagos registration number LND 789HR, believed to have been used by the syndicate.
Preliminary investigations showed that the suspects allegedly attempted to abduct a female Point of Sale (POS) operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani, on the morning of July 16.
The attempt was foiled after the victim raised the alarm, attracting residents and prompting a swift police response following a distress call.
Further investigation linked the suspects to the June 3 kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha.
The victim was reportedly abducted, dispossessed of two POS machines and Android phones, and later forced to pay a ransom of N3.5 million before she was released.
Ikenga said the suspects had confessed to their roles in the crimes and were assisting investigators with information that could lead to the arrest of other gang members and those who receive stolen property.
He reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining operations against criminal elements and urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to support policing efforts across Anambra State.
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