A kidnap victim in Anambra State reportedly lost ₦7 million from his bank accounts while being held captive for three days by suspected kidnappers before the Police arrested two members of the alleged syndicate.
The arrests formed part of separate intelligence-led operations by the Anambra State Police Command, which also resulted in the rescue of the kidnap victim and the recovery of a stolen tricycle.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said in a statement on Friday that operatives of the Anambra IGP’s Violent Crime Response Unit, acting on credible intelligence, arrested Victor Onwuka, alias “Bugatti,” and 30-year-old Madukaife Chidiebere Kenechukwu in the early hours of August 16, 2026, at Akpukpokelemu Village, Nimo, in Njikoka Local Government Area.
According to the Police, the two suspects were allegedly involved in the abduction of the victim, who was kept in a criminal hideout for three days. During the period, the suspects reportedly gained access to the victim’s bank accounts and withdrew a total of ₦7 million before fleeing with his Toyota Highlander SUV.
The Police said the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement during interrogation and were subsequently identified by the victim.
Their arrest, according to the Command, could help investigators unravel the wider network behind the operation, as the suspects are assisting the Police with information that may lead to the identification and arrest of other members of the alleged syndicate who remain at large.
In another operation carried out on September 15, operatives of the same unit arrested five suspects allegedly linked to the armed robbery and theft of a TVS tricycle with registration number ASB595VD.
The tricycle was reportedly snatched by armed men in Asaba, Delta State, in April 2026, leaving its owner without his means of transportation and livelihood.
Police said the operation began with the arrest of 38-year-old Nwakpa Friday and the recovery of the stolen tricycle at Old Road, Nkpor. Four other suspects were subsequently arrested in connection with the alleged robbery syndicate.
They were identified as 53-year-old Sylvester Nteshi, 35-year-old Nwuzor Livinus, 27-year-old Mgbom Uche and 42-year-old Chinweuba Chukwudi.
The suspects and the recovered tricycle are currently in Police custody as investigators work to establish the individual roles allegedly played by each suspect and track down other members of the syndicate still at large.
Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Ama, commended the operatives for what he described as professionalism, intelligence-led policing and prompt response.
Ama reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustained intelligence-led operations, strategic deployment of technology and coordinated pressure against kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism and other violent crimes across the state.
For victims of such crimes, however, the recovery of stolen property and arrest of suspects goes beyond Police statistics. It can mean the return of a means of livelihood, the recovery of hard-earned savings and, for families affected by kidnapping, the relief of knowing that a loved one has survived a frightening ordeal.
