…the suspects opened fire on the Police Operatives upon sighting them, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted about two hours.
ANAMBRA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers believed to be linked to a proscribed secessionist group after a two-hour gun battle at Enugwu-Agidi Junction in Dunukofia Local Government Area.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the arrests were made in the early hours of Wednesday following a shootout with a five-man robbery gang.
According to Ikenga, the operation represents another major breakthrough in the command’s ongoing efforts to flush out criminal elements and safeguard lives and property across the state.
He explained that operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence, laid an ambush for the suspects, who were identified as armed robbers, cultists and members of a banned secessionist group.
Ikenga said the suspects opened fire on the Police Operatives upon sighting them, leading to a fierce exchange of gunfire that lasted about two hours. Two members of the gang sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while three others escaped with varying degrees of injuries.
During the operation, police recovered one T.06 rifle, two pump-action guns, 24 rounds of T.06 ammunition, 15 live cartridges, assorted charms, a cult red beret and a black Toyota Highlander.
He added that one of the injured suspects, before succumbing to his injuries, confessed that the gang had earlier taken part in a failed attack on the convoy of a former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, and was also linked to the Vikings Confraternity, allegedly on a retaliatory mission following the killing of one of its members by a rival cult group.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, commended the Police Operatives for their bravery and directed them to intensify efforts to apprehend the fleeing suspects, particularly those who escaped with gunshot wounds.
Ikenga further urged hospitals and medical facilities to admit persons with gunshot injuries but to promptly report such cases to the nearest police station.
He assured that further details would be made public as investigations continue.
It will be recalled that on November 1, 2025, report has it that the Anambra State Police Command arrested a 25-year-old suspected member of a proscribed secessionist group, Friday Anyikame, during an intelligence-led operation in Ihiala Local Government Area. During that operation, officers recovered two pump-action guns and 29 live cartridges following heightened security surveillance ordered by the Commissioner of Police.
