The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 65-year-old man suspected of being linked to a criminal group agitating for self-government, alongside five other suspects during intensified raids on criminal hideouts across the state.

The arrests were carried out on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), following credible intelligence and as part of the command’s ongoing crackdown on violent crimes, cultism and illicit drug activities.

According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the suspect, identified as Ifeanyi Ogbuagbo, was arrested at his residence in Umudioka.

A search of the residence reportedly led to the recovery of an Army uniform and expended ammunition shells, which were allegedly concealed in a black polythene bag.

Police said preliminary findings indicated that Ogbuagbo was linked to a criminal gang allegedly involved in agitation for self-government. He has been taken into custody while investigations continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the recovered items and his alleged activities.

In a separate operation the same evening, police operatives raided a suspected criminal hideout in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of six suspects.

Those arrested were identified as Chisom Okafor, 25, female; Onyedika Moses, 36; Iruka Nwaonu, 30; Joseph Nwankwo, 36; Chukwujekwu Nwoso, 32; and Akanimo Orok, 40.

The police said a sizeable quantity of dried weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa, alongside other substances suspected to be illicit drugs, was recovered during the operation.

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, said the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations, strategic patrols and coordinated raids to dismantle criminal networks and disrupt illicit drug activities across the state.

He directed that raids on criminal hideouts, drug-selling points and other identified areas of criminal activity be intensified and sustained.

The command urged residents to continue providing credible information that could assist security agencies in preventing and combating crime across Anambra State.