A massive security operation by the Imo State Police Command has led to the arrest of 2,785 suspected criminals, including terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, and child traffickers. The six-month effort, led by Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma, resulted in the rescue of 58 kidnapped victims and 42 stolen children across the state’s 27 local government areas.
DSP Henry Okoye, the command’s spokesperson, described the breakthrough during a press briefing on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in Owerri. He credited the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and tactical teams for coordinating intelligence-led raids, many of which dismantled hardened crime rings and recovered dangerous arms and explosives.
Recovered weapons include 2 GPMG rifles, 14 AK-47s, 20 pump-action guns, fabricated rocket launchers, gas-cylinder IEDs, hand grenades, hundreds of live rounds, Biafran flags, and ritual charms. These materials, police say, were intended for attacks on security infrastructure and civilians in Njaba and Orlu LGAs.
Among the high-profile arrests were four members of the proscribed IPOB/ESN—Amechi Onyebuchi, Ozioma Ihedoro, Cyprian Ikpegbunam, and Uchenna Opara—who confessed to multiple attacks and the brutal killing of Emmanuel Oguzie under the command of a wanted militant named Asari. The suspects were apprehended in Njaba with military-grade weapons.
Police also cracked a notorious kidnap ring responsible for abducting a man, Anayo Iwuoha, from his Akabo residence on June 20. Suspects Uche Nwachukwu (24) and Chinonso Ozirim (32) held the victim in Ozirim’s apartment and collected ₦2.2 million in ransom before being nabbed by a joint police-vigilante team. A manhunt is ongoing for their accomplices.
In another major bust, Wisdom Chinazaekpere Ogbonna, 36, of Orlu LGA and a long-wanted Viking Confraternity member, was arrested for burglary. Subsequent profiling linked him to the 2023 gruesome murder of a man known as “Pikin,” who was stabbed to death after being misidentified as a rival cultist. Ogbonna is currently being processed for court arraignment.
The police commended residents for supporting security operations with timely intelligence. DSP Okoye urged citizens to stay vigilant and report suspicious activity to 0813 478 3532 or 0815 802 4755. “This success belongs to every Imolite who believes in peace. Together, we are taking back our communities from the grip of terror,” he said.
