The Anambra State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on kidnapping, arresting two suspected members of a notorious interstate kidnapping syndicate linked to multiple abduction cases in the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga,who disclosed this on Saturday while briefing journalists in Awka, said the arrests followed intelligence-driven operations and painstaking investigations by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu.
According to him, the first suspect, Dauda Mohamed, 38, was arrested on July 27, 2026, following a coordinated operation. During interrogation, the suspect allegedly confessed to participating in several kidnapping operations across Anambra State.
Ikenga said the suspect identified Umar Ali, popularly known as “Barjini,” 50, as the leader of the criminal gang, alleging that he coordinated logistics and supplied operational weapons used by the syndicate.
He added that the suspect also named two other gang members, identified as Usman and Gongola, who are currently at large.
The police spokesman explained that investigations linked the suspects to the abduction of a victim at Divine Heritage Lodge, Ukwulu, in Dunukofia Local Government Area on June 26, 2026.
He said armed hoodlums reportedly emerged from an uncompleted building behind the lodge, fired several gunshots, abducted the victim into a nearby bush and demanded a ransom of ₦30 million.
“After negotiations, the victim’s family paid ₦15 million before the victim was released after spending four days in captivity,” Ikenga stated.
Preliminary investigations, according to the Command, revealed that the syndicate allegedly relocated from armed bandit enclaves in Nigeria’s North-West to establish criminal operations in parts of the South-East.
The police further disclosed that the gang allegedly used an AK-47 rifle supplied by its leader to carry out kidnapping and armed robbery operations.
Acting on intelligence obtained from the first suspect, police operatives extended the operation to Ugwuoba Gariki in Enugu State, where they successfully arrested the alleged gang leader, Umar Ali, also known as “Barjini.”
The Command assured residents that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the remaining fleeing members of the syndicate and dismantle the criminal network.
Ikenga reaffirmed the commitment of the Anambra State Police Command to sustaining intelligence-led operations and collaborating with other security agencies to rid the state of violent criminals.
He also appealed to residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely, credible and actionable information, stressing that public cooperation remains critical in the fight against crime.
The police spokesman said investigations were still ongoing and assured that further updates would be made available as the case progresses.
