The Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a criminal gang connected to an attack on the convoy of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, with two suspects losing their lives during a prolonged gun battle with security operatives.
The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in their sustained campaign to dismantle criminal networks and strengthen public safety across the state.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad based in Awkuzu acted on credible intelligence that led them to intercept a five-man gang around the Enugwu Agidi junction. He explained that the suspects were already under surveillance before the operation was carried out.
Ikenga said the gang, believed to be made up of armed robbers and cult members with alleged links to a proscribed secessionist group, opened fire immediately after sighting the police team. This triggered an intense exchange of gunfire between both sides.
“During the exchange, which lasted about two hours, two of the armed suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while three others escaped with varying degrees of injuries,” the police spokesman stated.
He disclosed that items recovered from the scene included one T.06 rifle, two pump-action shotguns, 24 rounds of T.06 ammunition, 15 live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, a cult red beret, and a black Toyota Highlander vehicle believed to have been used for operations.
Ikenga further revealed that one of the suspects, before he died, confessed to the gang’s involvement in the earlier attack on Senator Ngige’s convoy. The suspect also reportedly admitted to being a member of the strike squad of the Vikings confraternity and said the operation was a retaliatory mission following the killing of one of their members by a rival cult group.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, praised the operatives for what he described as their courage and professionalism during the operation. He instructed them to intensify efforts to track down and apprehend the fleeing suspects in order to completely dismantle the gang.
The police commissioner also called on hospitals and medical facilities across the state to render treatment to individuals with gunshot injuries but to ensure that such cases are immediately reported to the nearest police station to aid ongoing investigations.
What you should know
The Anambra State Police say the operation is part of a broader strategy to clamp down on violent crime, cult activities, and armed robbery in the state.
The attack on Senator Chris Ngige’s convoy had earlier raised security concerns, prompting intensified intelligence-led policing.
Authorities believe the recovery of weapons and confessions from the suspects will help unravel wider criminal networks operating within the state and prevent future attacks.
