The Anambra State Police Command has arrested members of a criminal gang involved in a recent attack on the convoy of the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
In the ensuing gun battle, two suspects were killed, and several others escaped with injuries.
The police described the operation as a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to rid the state of criminal elements and enhance public safety.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, operatives from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence to ambush the gang at the Enugwu Agidi junction.
Ikenga stated that the suspects, believed to be a mix of armed robbers, cultists, and individuals linked to a banned secessionist group, engaged the police in a fierce gun battle upon sighting the operatives.
“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,” Ikenga confirmed.
In the aftermath of the gun battle, the operatives recovered several items from the suspects, including:
One T.06 rifle
Two pump-action guns
24 rounds of T.06 ammunition
15 live cartridges
Assorted criminal charms
A cult red beret
A black Toyota Highlander vehicle
Ikenga revealed that one of the suspects, before succumbing to his injuries, confessed that the gang had been involved in the attack on Senator Ngige’s convoy.
The suspect also admitted to being part of the strike squad of the Vikings confraternity, allegedly carrying out a retaliatory mission after the killing of one of their members by a rival cult group.
The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, Ikioye Orutugu, commended the operatives for their gallantry and urged them to intensify efforts to track down and arrest the remaining fleeing suspects.
“I commend the officers for their brave actions during the operation. We will continue to pursue these criminals and ensure they are brought to justice,” Orutugu said.
He also called on hospitals and medical facilities to treat individuals with gunshot injuries and promptly report such cases to the nearest police station.