…Recovers arms, rescue victims
The Imo State Police Command, under Aboki Danjuma, commissioner of Police, has in the fight against violent crimes and criminal syndicates across the state apprehended 2785 suspects for various crimes over the past six months.
Such crimes include kidnapping, terrorism, murder, armed robbery, cultism and child trafficking.
Henry Okoye, the Police Public Relations Officer, said in a release.
He noted that the command had also rescued 58 kidnapped victims and 42 stolen children, many of whom have been joyfully reunited with their families.
According to him, investigations into these cases had resulted in the recovery of a large cache of arms, ammunition, and explosives, including 2 GPMG, 14 AK-47s, 20 pump-action guns, 4 fabricated rocket launchers, 7 gas-cylinder explosives, locally-made hand grenades, assorted rounds of live ammunition, cartridges, Biafran flags, and charms, among others.
Okoye said that among the key suspects arrested were Amechi Onyebuchi (38), Ozioma Ihedoro (39), Cyprian Ikpegbunam (50), and Uchenna Opara (30), stressing that they were members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN.
He stated that “these individuals were responsible for multiple attacks on security formations and public infrastructure in Njaba LGA. Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, in collaboration with other tactical teams, raided an IPOB/ESN camp in Njaba, arrested the suspects, and recovered high-grade weapons and explosives
“During interrogation, they confessed to the kidnap and murder of Emmanuel Oguzie, allegedly on the orders of a wanted ESN commander known as Asari”
According to him, “In a separate related case, two suspected kidnappers, Uche Nwachukwu (24) and Chinonso Ozirim (32), were arrested for abducting Anayo Iwuoha in his compound at Akabo on June 20, 2025, and that the syndicate held the victim at Chinonso Ozirim’s residence, collected a ₦2.2 million ransom before a joint operation by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and local vigilantes led to his rescue and the arrest of the suspects. A manhunt is ongoing for their fleeing accomplices.
“Also apprehended is Wisdom Chinazaekpere Ogbonna (36) of Orlu LGA, a notorious member of the Vikings Confraternity. Ogbonna had been on the run for two years following the brutal murder of a young man known as “Pikin,” who was mistakenly identified as a rival cultist and butchered with knives by Ogbonna and three other gang members.”
Wisdom Chinazaekpere was recently apprehended by operatives of Orlu Division for alleged burglary and stealing, but upon further profiling and transfer to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, he was identified as one of the cultists involved in the heinous murder.
