In a series of intelligence-driven operations, the Enugu State Police Command has arrested four suspects in connection with armed robbery, cultism, and unlawful possession of firearms. The coordinated raids led to the recovery of dangerous weapons, ammunition, and other criminal exhibits, signaling intensified efforts by the Command to dismantle criminal networks in the state.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the arrests and recoveries were made between June 22 and June 23, 2025, during separate operations executed by various tactical units of the Command.
On June 22, operatives from the Crack Tactical Squad, in collaboration with the Neighbourhood Watch Group, arrested Esomchi Ugwu (26) and Kosisochukwu Ukwuani (19) in Enugu-Ngwo, Udi Local Government Area. The operation yielded the seizure of a single-barrelled pistol, a cut-to-size firearm, and four live cartridges. The suspects reportedly confessed to being members of the Black Axe Confraternity, a proscribed cult group.
In a separate pre-dawn raid at about 3:45 a.m. the same day, the Command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad discovered a cache of ammunition—including a locally made single-barrelled pistol, one 7.62mm live round, and four cartridges—hidden inside a cooking pot at a residence in Ndiaga-Ugwuaji, Enugu South LGA. The primary suspect, Ogbodo Friday Onyekachi, fled the scene before he could be apprehended. Investigators linked the discovery to an earlier arrest of Izuchukwu Anyanwu Gabriel, 26, also known as “Onye-Amuma,” who had made a confessional statement implicating Onyekachi.
On June 23 at approximately 4:00 a.m., police from the New Haven Division responded to a distress call and recovered a VL-Light Electronic Gas Igniter, modified to resemble a firearm. The device was abandoned by suspects fleeing the scene, having used it to simulate a gun during criminal activities. A manhunt is ongoing to track down the perpetrators.
The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, psc, praised the operatives for their swift and coordinated actions. He further directed all tactical and divisional units to intensify intelligence-led operations aimed at preventing crime and securing lives and property across the state.
“These results reflect our commitment to staying ahead of criminal elements through proactive, intelligence-based policing,” CP Giwa stated.
The Police Command has urged residents to remain vigilant and continue providing timely information that could assist law enforcement efforts.