Anambra Police Arrest Suspected Kidnapper, Armed Robbery Syndicate

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested another suspected member of a criminal gang linked to kidnapping and armed robbery.

The police said the suspect also belongs to a car snatching gang, associated with a proscribed secessionist group.

The suspect, Kalu Okafor, 43, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday, at Okpoko in Ogbaru Local Government Area by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu.

According to the spokesperson of the command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the arrest followed ongoing investigations into the activities of the syndicate.

He said, “During the operations, the operatives recovered one AK-47 rifle, one pump-action gun, two AK-47 magazines, eighty-eight rounds of ammunition, two face masks and two hand gloves.”

Ikenga added that the breakthrough came after the confession of another gang member already in custody, Chukwudi Nwakpa, who reportedly detailed how the group operated.

“Nwakpa confessed that they handed over their firearms to Kalu Okafor for safekeeping after each kidnapping operation.

Kalu further admitted that he received returns from the proceeds of ransom collected from kidnapped victims,” he said.

The police spokesperson noted that the suspect is currently providing investigators with additional information that could lead to the arrest of other fleeing members of the gang and the recovery of more weapons.

His development followed the arrest of one Emmanuel Osuigwe at Amakwa, Ozubulu, on November 30.

Osuigwe, a suspected member of the proscribed secessionist group was arrested after he was observed behaving suspiciously and attempted to conceal himself upon sighting the joint patrol team.

The suspect claimed to have recently escaped from a camp at Ukpor following a disagreement with other members.

The command subsequently assured residents of the police commitment to remain in their constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property across the State.