By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command said it has arrested five suspected members of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping syndicate, including a confessed deserter soldier, while also recovering arms, ammunition, and charms from them.
This was contained in a statement issued over the week by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who disclosed that the suspects were arrested on August 27, 2025, following a swift operation by operatives attached to the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu. The laudable arrest came on the eve of the burial of the young Anambra entrepreneur and fish dealer, Late Master Ifesinachi Martin Onyekesi (popularly known as Fish Magnet), an only son, who was abducted at his residence in Awka on Sunday, July 27 and gruesomely murdered by the yet-to-be-identified abductors.
According to the statement, the apprehended suspects, identified as Michael Nwobodo (30 years), Eze Friday (29 years), Uche Okolo (23 years), Chinedu Gilbert (29 years), and Dominic Oraz (38 years), were arrested after abducting a victim on his farmland at Isiagu, Awka, who was later released after ransom payment. Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives stormed the syndicate’s hideout at Notoko, Awka, where the arrests were made.
The PPRO further revealed that items recovered from the suspects include six automatic pump-action guns, 63 rounds of live cartridges, one microscope, five machetes, one military cap, two police teargas canisters, handcuffs, a robber’s rocket launcher, criminal charms, three Motorola walkie-talkies, one jack knife, one power bank, and a cash sum of ₦26,000.
He added that during interrogation, one of the suspects, Dominic Oraz, confessed to having deserted the Nigerian Army in November 2024. He noted that necessary enquiries have already commenced with the relevant authority to guide further Police action and prosecution of the suspects.
The statement also quoted the State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu fwc, MNIPS, PhD, as commending the gallantry of the operatives involved in the operation. The CP, while reassuring Ndi Anambra of the Command’s commitment to combating violent crimes, urged residents to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and to continue reporting suspicious activities to the Police for prompt action.
