A combined team of security operatives under the Police-led Joint Security Force from the Forward Operating Base (FOB), Aguata, on the night of July 12, 2025, successfully engaged a group of armed hoodlums in a fierce gun battle during a routine night patrol around Amaokpala, Anambra State.
The operatives, while on visibility patrol, were ambushed by the criminals who opened fire upon sighting the team. In a tactical response, the security forces engaged the assailants in a gun duel that lasted approximately 40 minutes, resulting in the rescue of a 26-year-old female kidnap victim and the neutralization of one of the suspects. The rescued victim has been debriefed and provided with medical attention in preparation for a safe reunion with her family.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the operatives recovered a range of incriminating items from the scene, including: one pump-action gun, eleven live cartridges, an ash-coloured Toyota Camry Sedan (Lagos Reg. No. EPE-208-FK), one police belt, one carton of Chelsea sachet alcoholic drink, one Zenith Bank ATM card, one axe, a small Tecno mobile phone, one packet of cigarettes, assorted charms, and ₦2,700 in cash.
The suspect who sustained fatal injuries during the exchange of fire was confirmed dead at a nearby hospital, and his body has been deposited in the morgue for preservation.
Commending the bravery of the officers, the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Ikioye Orutugu, reiterated the Command’s unwavering commitment to ridding the state of criminal elements and maintaining peace and order