The Anambra State Police Command said it has arrested 264 suspects, including kingpins that masterminded two high profile kidnap and murder cases, from April 1 to date, in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Mustapha Danduara, disclosed this to newsmen during the parade of the suspects at the command’s headquarters in Amawbia, near Awka, yesterday.
According to him, 231 out of the figure are suspected cultists, 16 ‘one chance’ robbery syndicates, four suspected car snatchers, three suspected kidnappers and 10 suspected robbers.
He said the arrest of the suspects was due to combined efforts of the command’s striking units, such as Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Special Anti-Cultism, Operations Udoka and Divisional patrol teams.
Dandaura said that a suspect from Nimo was arrested in connection with the April 16 murder of Chief Frank Igboka, the President-General of Nimo community in Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
He said another notorious suspected kidnapper, believed to be behind the kidnap and murder of 85-year-old Pa Iloanyusi was arrested on April 27 at Anaku community in Ayamelum Local Government Area.
The police boss said Iloanyusi was the father of an ex-Super Eagles’s player.
Danduara said the patrol team attached to Operation Udoka rescued unhurt, Davidson Obinna, a kidnap victim on April 25, at Oba community, following intelligence reports from Owerri.
According to him, the intelligence report has it that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers abducted Obinna with his Red Lexus car.
“On April 27, operatives attached to the command’s Anti Robbery Squad arrested Okeh, 26, and Nweke, 23, both from Uruagu at a criminal hideout in Oba.
“The suspects had on April 25, 2019, at about 8.15pm robbed at gunpoint, Rev. Fr. Chukwunonso Anosike, of his HP laptop, Samsung A7 phone.
“They also robbed him of two Infinix phones, one Techno phone and one power bank,” he said.
Giving more details on the arrest of the suspected killer of the president-general of Nimo community, Danduara said that Aniegbu volunteered information to the police.
He said Aniegbu’s volunteered information revealed that three other persons involved in the murder of Igboka were still at large.
“After the gruesome murder of Chief Igboka on April 16, Willie Obiano of Anambra State announced a reward of N5 million to anybody that could provide useful information for the arrest of the killers.