The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended a 24-year-old suspect, Muanaenye Chekwube Victor, for allegedly setting up the abduction of his own friend by a gang he is affiliated with.
Information obtained from police sources indicates that Victor orchestrated the kidnapping and, along with his accomplices, collected a ransom in the dollar equivalent of ₦5.3 million before releasing the victim.
The spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, in a press release on Sunday, confirmed that the suspect was arrested on Friday by operatives from the Uli Divisional Headquarters.
Ikenga noted that Victor is now assisting the authorities with intelligence to track down the remaining members of the gang and will be prosecuted once investigations are concluded.
The statement read in part, “Police operatives attached to the Uli Divisional Police Headquarters on the evening of June 26, 2025, exposed and arrested one Muanaenye Chekwube Victor, ‘M’, aged 24 years, over a reported case of kidnapping.
“The case, which is under investigation revealed that the suspect planned the kidnapping and collected a ransom in dollars equivalent of N5.3m with his gang members before the victim was released.
“The suspect during interrogation confessed to having planned the kidnapping plot by luring his friend to escort him to see another friend. Victor and his criminal gang allegedly abducted their friend and to avoid suspicion pretended to have been kidnapped by his criminal gang.
“Meanwhile, he is now cooperating with the police, providing information to help apprehend his accomplices and will face prosecution at the conclusion of the investigation.”
According to Ikenga, the command remains committed to enhancing security across the state.
In a related development, police operatives from the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, arrested 10 suspects on Saturday in connection with an ongoing investigation into the discovery of a lifeless body of an alleged kidnapping victim near a piggery farm in Nimo.
The deceased, a respected community elder, was reportedly abducted on June 23 by armed men while on his farm. Despite a ₦15 million ransom paid by his family, his corpse was later found dumped on the same farmland.
Ikenga, confirming the arrests, said, “While the suspects are still undergoing interrogation over the incident, the operatives are ready to proceed to the next line of action after processing the information as directed by the Commissioner, CP Ikioye Orutugu.
“Further development would be communicated, please.”
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