The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended members of a criminal gang connected to the attack on the convoy of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, with two suspects losing their lives during a shootout with security operatives.
The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in their sustained campaign to flush out criminal networks and safeguard lives and property across the state.
In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence to set up an ambush against a five-man gang at the Enugwu Agidi junction.
He explained that the suspects, believed to be armed robbers and cult members with alleged links to a banned secessionist group, opened fire on the officers upon encountering them, leading to a gun battle.
According to Ikenga, the confrontation, which lasted for about two hours, resulted in two of the suspects being fatally wounded, while three others fled the scene with gunshot injuries.
Items recovered from the scene included one T.06 rifle, two pump-action guns, 24 rounds of T.06 ammunition, 15 live cartridges, assorted charms, a red cult beret, and a black Toyota Highlander vehicle.
The PPRO further revealed that one of the suspects, before dying, confessed that the gang was responsible for the earlier attack on Senator Ngige’s convoy.
The suspect also admitted to belonging to the strike force of the Vikings confraternity, allegedly carrying out a retaliatory operation following the killing of one of their members by a rival cult group.
Commending the operatives for their bravery, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, ordered intensified efforts to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects.
He also called on hospitals and medical facilities to treat persons with gunshot injuries, while ensuring such cases are promptly reported to the nearest police station.