Anambra: Police arrest female suspect in N24m robbery, kidnap case

The Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to the 33 Police Station, in collaboration with Agunechemba Security, Nkwelle-Ezunaka Unit, have arrested a 23-year-old female suspect and accomplice in an armed robbery and kidnap case.

This was disclosed in a press statement issued by the command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, on Wednesday.

Ikenga said the suspect was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday by the security team after recovering a snatched Toyota Highlander SUV of a victim in Ogidi, Idemili North LGA of the state.

He said the victim was double-crossed by five armed men operating in a Toyota Corolla car at Nkwelle GRA Gate.

He added that the suspects forcefully placed the victim in the boot of his vehicle and drove off to a bush in Umuoji Town, where they dispossessed him of his phone and transferred the sum of ₦24million

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command operatives attached to the 33 Police Station, in collaboration with Agunechemba Security, Nkwelle-Ezunaka Unit, in the early hours of 27th October 2025, arrested one Okonkwo Onyinye, aged 23 years, a female accomplice in a reported case of armed robbery and kidnap incident.

“The team also recovered the snatched Toyota Highlander SUV of the victim in Ogidi. Preliminary information revealed that the victim was double-crossed by five armed men operating in a Toyota Corolla car at Nkwelle GRA Gate.

The suspects forcefully placed the victim in the boot of his vehicle and drove off to a bush in Umuoji Town, where they dispossessed him of his phone and transferred the sum of ₦24 million from his account before abandoning him and escaping with the vehicle.

Following the report, the Joint Security Team, acting on technologically driven intelligence, traced the movement of the suspects to Nawfia and subsequently to Ogidi, where the armed hoodlums engaged the operatives in sporadic gunfire before fleeing the scene.

“Meanwhile, the Toyota Highlander, white in colour with registration number RBC 649 CN, was recovered and the female accomplice, Okonkwo Onyinye, was later arrested at the scene. She is currently assisting Police detectives with credible information that will aid in the arrest of other fleeing gang members.”

He added that the Police have intensified patrols within the State, ahead of the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for November 8, 2025.

“Further developments will be communicated accordingly,” he said.

Punch Online had reported that the Anambra State Police Command on Tuesday repelled an armed robbery attack in Ezinifite Community, Nnewi South Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Monday.

Ikenga said the robbery attack was successfully repelled following a swift response and resistance from the combined security team of the Police and Agunechamba vigilante operatives in the area.

He added that during the attack, the joint security team engaged the assailants in a gunfire exchange, leading to the neutralisation of one of the attackers, while the others escaped into a surrounding bush with suspected bullet injuries.

He said the operatives also recovered one pump-action gun from the scene as well as the body of the neutralised suspect.