Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have dismantled a suspected kidnap syndicate, arresting four suspected kidnappers and recovering arms and ammunition during separate operations across the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Awka, saying the arrests followed the command’s ongoing security review and intensified operations against violent crime.

According to Ikenga, the Command recorded major breakthroughs with the arrest of four suspected kidnappers linked to separate kidnapping and armed robbery cases.

He said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, on July 15, 2026, arrested 32-year-old Okoye Ibegbunam Chukwuebuka John Bosco, popularly known as “Bone.”

The arrest, he said, was made as part of an investigation into the kidnapping of a victim in Okpanam, Asaba, Delta State, where the victim was abducted, robbed and forced to pay a ransom before regaining freedom.

A search of the suspect reportedly led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, two live rounds of ammunition, an axe and an Itel Android phone belonging to the victim, with the victim’s photograph still displayed as the phone’s screensaver.

Ikenga said the suspect allegedly confessed to participating in the crime, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the gang still at large.

In another operation on July 16, operatives of the RRS, Awkuzu, working with detectives from the Ogbaru Divisional Police Headquarters, foiled a suspected kidnap attempt in Ogbaru.

Three suspects identified as Chekwube Chukwu, 32; Amarachukwu Nwobosi, 34; and Sopuluchukwu Ifeakor, 30, were arrested during the operation.

Police also recovered a black Toyota Camry with tinted windows bearing Lagos registration number LND 789HR, which is believed to have been used by the syndicate.

Preliminary investigations showed that the suspects were intercepted while attempting to abduct a female Point-of-Sale (POS) operator at Iyiowa, Odekpe, Atani, on the morning of July 16.

According to the police, the victim raised an alarm, attracting residents and prompting a swift response by officers following a distress call.

The intervention foiled the abduction, rescued the victim and led to the arrest of the suspects.

Further investigation linked the suspects to the earlier kidnapping of another female POS operator at Dominion Park, Head Bridge, Onitsha, on June 3, 2026.

During that incident, the victim was abducted, dispossessed of two POS machines and Android phones, and forced to pay a ransom of N3.5 million before she was released.

Ikenga said the suspects allegedly confessed to the crimes during interrogation and are providing useful information to help police identify suspected receivers of stolen property and other members of the syndicate.

“These operations underscore the Command’s commitment to dismantling criminal networks and improving public safety. The Command further urges members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the Police with timely and credible information to enhance security across the state,” he said. (Nigerian Tribune)