Reported By Mary Udezue | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Awka, Anambra State — The Anambra State Police Command has made a significant operational breakthrough in its ongoing drive to dismantle violent criminal networks, apprehending members of a gang connected to the attack on the convoy of former Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige. The development follows a fierce gun battle between police operatives and suspected armed robbers and cultists, resulting in the fatal wounding of two suspects and the recovery of weapons and other incriminating items.
According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer for the command, officers attached to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu, acted on credible intelligence to lay an ambush for a five-man criminal gang at Enugwu Agidi Junction in Dunukofia Local Government Area in the early hours of January 14, 2026. When the suspects sighted the operatives, they opened fire, triggering a two-hour gunfight that culminated in two of them being fatally wounded, while three others fled with varying degrees of gunshot injuries.
Recovered from the scene were a T.06 rifle, two pump-action guns, 24 rounds of T.06 ammunition, 15 live cartridges, assorted criminal charms, a cult red beret and a black Toyota Highlander vehicle, supplies police said were indicative of the gang’s involvement in serious organised crime.
In a critical development reported by the command, one of the suspects — before succumbing to his wounds — confessed that members of the gang were involved in the earlier attack on Senator Ngige’s convoy. The suspect also admitted to affiliation with the Vikings confraternity’s strike squad, stating their operation was intended as retaliation for the death of a confraternity member allegedly killed by a rival cult group.
Commissioner of Police Ikioye Orutugu described the operation as a significant milestone in the effort to rid Anambra State of violent criminal elements and reinforce public safety. He praised the gallantry of the RRS operatives and urged continued efforts to track down and arrest gang members still at large, particularly those injured and believed to be hiding following the gun battle.
In addition to the arrests and recovered exhibits, the police have issued a directive to hospital and medical facilities across the state to treat anyone presenting with gunshot wounds or related injuries, but to immediately report such cases to the nearest police station, as part of the broader investigation into the gang’s activities.
The Anambra Command’s success follows sustained pressure on criminal networks operating in the state, signalling intensifying efforts by law enforcement to dismantle organised crime and ensure the safety of residents and travellers. Authorities say further updates will be communicated as investigations progress and additional arrests are made.
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