By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The gallant operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested eight suspected criminals following a targeted raid on a notorious hideout in Enugwu-Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the state.
The raid, which was confirmed in a statement issued to newsmen over the weekend by the State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, was carried out in the evening of April 16 by officers attached to the Special Anti-Cult Unit, Enugwu-Ukwu, acting on credible intelligence about suspected cult-related activities in the area.
He said the operation, which primarily focused on a black spot located at Eze-Allah in Enugwu-Ukwu, led to the arrest of eight male suspects believed to be linked to cultism and other related criminal activities.
According to him, those apprehended include Chidalu Nwafor (27), Chiemerie Nwazueje (24), Chima Arwuike (25), Jideobi Emeka (26), Oliver Okonkwo (18), Izuchukwu Christian (18), Onyebuchi (21), and Walter Idouzour (44).
The PPRO said during the operation, the operatives also recovered various quantities of suspected Cannabis sativa and other illicit substances believed to be connected to criminal activities in the area. He explained that the raid forms part of the Command’s intensified efforts to dismantle criminal networks and rid the state of black spots used as operational bases by unlawful groups.
He noted that the widespread use of illicit drugs continues to fuel criminality, particularly among youth groups involved in cultism, thereby necessitating sustained enforcement actions and community cooperation.
The suspects, he said, are currently undergoing profiling and further investigation, after which they will be charged to court accordingly.
The Command reassured residents of its commitment to ongoing security operations aimed at dislodging criminal elements and maintaining peace and order across Anambra State.
