Police arrest three armed robbery suspects, recover stolen tanker in Anambra
Police arrest three armed robbery suspects, recover stolen tanker in Anambra
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three suspected armed robbers and cultists, recovering various weapons, ammunition, and a stolen petrol tanker in separate operations across the state.
In a press statement released on Sunday, the Command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, carried out the arrests on March 21, 2026, at about 1:46 pm.
Ikenga said the suspects were apprehended after police, acting on credible intelligence, raided a suspected criminal hideout in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
He said, “The Anambra State Police Command has continued to record significant operational successes in its sustained efforts to enhance safety and security across the state, with the latest arrest of three suspected armed robbers/cultists and the recovery of arms, ammunition, and a stolen petrol tanker in separate operations.
“Police operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, on March 21, 2026, at about 1:46 pm, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a suspected criminal hideout in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area.
“During the operation, three suspects were arrested, namely: Francis Chukwuka Anene, 46; Emmanuel Obi, 29; and Okoye Chinonso, 35, an alleged serving member of a security agency.
“Items recovered from the suspects include two locally made Beretta pistols, four rounds of live 9 mm ammunition, and a suspected fake security agency identity card.”
The recovered items…credit: Police
According to Ikenga, preliminary investigations indicate the suspects are members of a criminal syndicate allegedly involved in armed robbery, kidnapping, and terrorising residents of Ogidi and its environs.
“The suspects are also being investigated for possible involvement in the gruesome murder of the late President General of Ogidi,” the statement added.
In a separate development, Ikenga said police personnel attached to the Ozubulu Police Division recovered a suspected stolen white trailer tanker in the early hours of March 17, 2026, abandoned along the Onitsha/Owerri Expressway.
He said the vehicle was found without a registration number, with the key in the ignition, reportedly abandoned by an unidentified individual.
“The Command has commenced efforts to trace the owner of the tanker and unravel the circumstances surrounding its abandonment, as investigations continue on both incidents.
“To this end, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reassures Ndi Anambra of the Command’s commitment to sustaining safety and urges members of the public to continue to support the Police with timely and credible information,” he added.
Punch Online reported on Saturday that the Anambra State Police Command also arrested two suspects over a case of conspiracy and staged kidnapping, allegedly carried out in collaboration with the victim’s boyfriend, after extorting ₦240,000 from the victim’s parents.
In a press statement, SP Ikenga said the arrests followed significant breakthroughs in several cases under investigation by the Command over the past two weeks.
