In a significant breakthrough under Operation Udo Ga Chi – Zero Kidnapping, Police operatives from the Rapid Response Squad and Anti-Kidnapping Unit have dismantled a notorious criminal hideout at Osumoghu Isieke Village in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
According to SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, the operation was carried out on Thursday, April 25, 2025, following credible intelligence that the gang was plotting to enforce an illegal sit-at-home order in the area the following Monday.
During the operation, officers arrested one Ewulu Chikwo, a 35-year-old male suspect. Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and admitted to participating in the violent attack on the Ukpor Divisional Police Headquarters in 2022, where a female officer, Inspector Stella Maris, was gruesomely murdered.
The Police Command stated that the arrest represents a critical step toward dismantling criminal networks that threaten peace and public safety in the region. The suspect’s confession has prompted renewed efforts to track and apprehend other members of the gang still at large.
In response to the development, the Joint Security Force has intensified surveillance and patrols across strategic areas in Ihiala LGA and surrounding communities.
The Command has also urged residents to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity, assuring swift and decisive action on all credible intelligence.
The Anambra State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives and property and maintaining law and order under the ongoing Operation Udo Ga Chi, which translates to “Peace Must Reign.”