By Izunna Okafor, Awka
Police operatives in Anambra State have arrested a suspected member of a notorious criminal gang responsible for enforcing illegal sit-at-home orders and for participating in the attack on Ukpor Police Station in 2022.
This was disclosed in a press release issued by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Monday, April 29, 2025.
According to the statement, the arrest was made by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad/Anti-Kidnapping Unit, who stormed a criminal den at Ukpor on Thursday, April 25, following credible intelligence. He said one suspect, identified as Ewulu Chikwo, a 35-year-old male from Osumoghu Isieke Village in Ihiala Local Government Area, was apprehended during the operation.
SP Ikenga said the suspect and his gang were allegedly planning to enforce an illegal sit-at-home order in the area on the following Monday. The police spokesman said upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of the gang that attacked the Ukpor Divisional Police Headquarters in 2022, during which a female police officer, Inspector Stella Maris, was brutally killed.
The Police Command noted that the arrest marks a significant step in ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities and restore peace in the area under the “Operation Udo Ga-Achi Zero Kidnapping” initiative.
According to SP Ikenga, in the meantime, the Joint Security Force has intensified patrols and surveillance in Ukpor and its environs, even as he reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to acting swiftly on credible security information and tracking down other fleeing gang members.
SP Ikenga also encouraged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to assist the Police with timely and useful information, assuring that the Command is fully determined to root out criminal elements and ensure safety across the state.
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