The Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade has arrested seven illegal revenue collectors in Amansea, Awka North Local Government Area.
The seven suspects were subsequently charged to court for prosecution.
They were apprehended at the Amansea butcher market along the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, where they were allegedly extorting motorists and residents while in possession of weapons.
Before their arraignment at the Magistrate Court in Amawbia, Awka South, the suspects were paraded at the OCHA Brigade headquarters in Awka.
The Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Comrade Celestine Anere, described the arrests as a direct response to persistent illegal cash collections despite the Anambra State Government’s prohibition of all forms of cash levy payments.
He explained that the OCHA team requested proper identification from the suspects, but none could provide valid credentials, leading to their arrest.
Comrade Anere added that the command will remain on high alert throughout the festive season to prevent criminal elements from exploiting residents or inflicting hardship on the public.
Among the suspects were Mr. David Ikemefuna and Mr. Ifeanyi Stanley, who admitted to working as contracted revenue collectors for two individuals identified as Mr. Jude and Mr. Olise. They claimed they were not instructed to use POS machines and insisted they believed they were performing legitimate government duties.
At the Magistrate Court in Amawbia, the presiding magistrate ordered the remand of the suspects at the correctional centre and adjourned the case to January 2026 for hearing.
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