The Anambra State Police Command announced on Saturday that it had successfully thwarted a kidnap attempt by a gang believed to be members of a secessionist group. During the operation, one suspect was killed in a gunfight, while others escaped with bullet wounds.
State Police Spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed in a statement that the incident occurred along the Agulu/Nnobi Road on Friday. A kidnapped victim was rescued, and firearms, vehicles, and other incriminating items were recovered.
Ikenga stated, “Police operatives from the Operations Department of the Command, attached to a VIP in the state, on 29/11/2024, at about 8:30 pm along Agulu/Nnobi road, demobilised one of the criminal elements in the state and recovered one pump-action gun, five live cartridges, five machetes, two SUV jeeps, and two pairs of desert shoes.”
The operatives were reportedly attacked unprovoked by armed men in a grey Lexus ES 330 (Plate No: ACA 551 MA) and an ash Toyota Highlander (Plate No: SMK 544). The joint response from police and local vigilantes led to the suspects abandoning their vehicles and fleeing into the bush with injuries.
Ikenga confirmed that efforts are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects, urging the public to provide any useful information.
Rescue Operation Along Ukwulu Road
In a separate incident, the joint security team responded to a distress call along Ukwulu Road in Dunukofia Local Government Area. The operatives rescued abducted victims who had been taken on November 27, 2024, along Ugwunwasike-Ogidi in Idemili North Local Government Area.
The suspects, realizing they were being pursued, shot their hostages, abandoned them in a vehicle, and fled. While one victim survived and is receiving medical attention, the other succumbed to their injuries despite efforts by medical personnel.
The vehicle used in the abduction has been recovered, and security operations in the area have been intensified to track down the culprits.
Ikenga emphasized the police’s commitment to maintaining safety and promised to provide further updates as investigations and operations progress.
