In a renewed onslaught against criminal elements, operatives of the Anambra State Police Command, under Operation Udo Ga Chi – Zero Kidnapping, have dismantled a notorious criminal hideout in Ukpor, Nnewi South Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of a key suspect involved in enforcing illegal sit-at-home orders and other violent crimes.
The breakthrough occurred on April 25, 2025, when officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad and Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, stormed a criminal camp at Osumoghu Isieke village in Ihiala Local Government Area. One Ewulu Chikwo, a 35-year-old male suspect, was arrested during the operation.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in Anambra State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspect confessed during interrogation to being a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He also admitted to participating in the gruesome 2022 attack on the Ukpor Divisional Police Headquarters, where a female officer, Inspector Stella Maris, was brutally murdered.
The suspect further revealed that he and his accomplices were planning to violently enforce an illegal sit-at-home order in the area the following Monday.
Following this arrest, the Joint Security Force has intensified patrols within and around the community to prevent further threats and ensure the safety of residents. The Anambra State Police Command also reaffirmed its commitment to acting swiftly on any credible security information, particularly in apprehending other members of the criminal gang still at large.
The Command urged residents to remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and useful information that can aid in maintaining peace and order in the state.
