- He said the suspects were arrested in Ufuma, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state
The Anambra State Command has announced that its operatives, in a joint security force operation on Monday, intercepted and arrested four suspected fighters of the Eastern Security Network (ESN).
The spokesperson for the state police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, made this known in a statement available to journalists in Awka, the state capital, on Tuesday. He said the suspects were arrested in Ufuma, Orumba North Local Government Area of the state.
Ikenga noted that the arrest followed information received over time regarding planned attacks on security agents and innocent citizens by the group.
One of the suspects, identified as 32-year-old Maduabuchi Nwafor, also known as Omenkpo, is a native of Ufuma. According to Ikenga, Nwafor had been identified as one of the native doctors preparing juju for the group, using his shrine for initiation ceremonies and as a meeting point for criminals.
“Also, one of the suspects’ name withheld who is already assisting the police with information confessed to be one of the gunmen dispatched by the group to enforce illegal sit-at-home on May 30th, 2024.
“The Commissioner of Police CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, orders investigations to be widened and deepened to identify hideouts of the insurgents seeking to destabilize and truncate development in the state.
“He assures Ndi Anambra that the police command under his watch will continue to serve the people selflessly and will jealously protect the sources of its information to protect informers from harm,” the PPRO said.