Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have apprehended three suspects in connection with cases of vehicle theft, truck diversion, and child abduction.
The arrests, made in coordinated operations across Achalla, Okpoko, and Ihiala areas of the state, also led to the recovery of stolen vehicles and other exhibits.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent Tochukwu Ikenga, the operations took place on September 23, 2025. According to Ikenga, a joint team of police operatives from Achalla Division and members of the Special Vigilante Taskforce in Achalla arrested two suspects—Chinwendu Ndieli and Uchenna Offodile—at approximately 12:38 p.m. The suspects were apprehended following a report about a Mack Truck with registration number T 5003 LA and an empty container suspected to have been stolen, which was found parked near St. Paul’s Catholic Church in Achalla.
“Upon interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime and revealed how the truck was stolen from a company in Lagos,” Ikenga said. The police have contacted the truck’s owner, who is expected to present the necessary documents to reclaim the vehicle.
Later that same day, operatives from Okpoko Division responded to credible information regarding an abandoned vehicle along Onitsha–Owerri Road, opposite Tiger Fruit Company. Acting swiftly, the Divisional Patrol Team, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), discovered a white Toyota Camry Spider with registration number AWK 91 SR (Anambra). A second number plate, Delta: 06A 90 DT, was found inside the vehicle. The car has been recovered and taken to the station for safekeeping, identification, and possible claim by the rightful owner.
In another operation also on the evening of September 23, police in Ihiala, with assistance from youths in Akwa Village, arrested one Charles Chiemerie Onuigbo in connection with the abduction of three children aged six, three, and two. Ikenga explained that preliminary investigations suggest Onuigbo, along with two accomplices who are currently on the run, conspired to abduct the children.
“The mother of the abducted children reported that they were eating in front of their house when she briefly stepped into the kitchen to get more food. Upon returning, she found them missing,” Ikenga stated.
It was further revealed that Onuigbo, a neighbor to the victims, had been providing shelter to the fleeing suspects. Before his arrest, Onuigbo was reportedly attacked and injured by irate members of the community and was later rescued by police operatives.
The police spokesperson confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and efforts are underway to apprehend the two fleeing suspects and safely recover the missing children.
Ikenga credited the successful operations to the strategic security measures put in place by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu. He noted that increased patrols and enhanced collaboration between law enforcement and community stakeholders have contributed significantly to stabilizing security across the state.
