The Anambra State Police Command has intensified its campaign against cultism, drug abuse and other rising social vices with the arrest of 54 suspects and the recovery of a large quantity of hard drugs during separate operations across the state.
Among those arrested following coordinated raids by operatives in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area, and Ifitedunu, Dunukofia LGA, were 39 males and 15 females.
Briefing newsmen on Monday, the police spokesman in Anambra, SP Tochukwu Ikenga said the operations were in line with renewed strategies aimed at restoring sanity in the state and curbing the growing menace of crime among young people.
Ikenga revealed that on September 12, operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad (SPACS), Enugwu-Ukwu, arrested a 25-year-old suspect, Chiderah Obochi, along the Old Onitsha–Awka Road.
He said a search revealed dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp in his possession.
According to the PPRO, under interrogation, Obochi admitted to being a drug runner and led police to a residence in Umudioka Village, where 11 bags of dried leaves suspected to be cannabis sativa were recovered.
Ikenga said, “The exhibits will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.
“Two days later, on September 14, police stormed a black spot in Ogidi following intelligence reports that cultists routinely gathered there.
“The operation led to the arrest of 53 suspects, comprising 38 males and 15 females. They are currently undergoing screening and profiling, after which those found culpable will face charges in court.”
Ikenga expressed concern over what he described as moral decay among youths, especially those between 18 and 26 years.
Despite past successes, Ikenga noted, disturbing trends such as cultism and fake kidnappings have continued to surface.
He recalled recent cases in which young lovers staged their own abductions to extort money from their parents.
“In one incident, a girl and her boyfriend connived to extract three million naira after initially demanding ten million from her family.
“In another, a couple staged a similar plot, collecting one million naira from the girl’s parents.
“These acts not only undermine community safety, but also reflect a troubling decline in parental guidance and supervision,” he said.
The PPRO said the Command also condemns last month’s violent cult-related attack during a burial at Ezi-Ogidi, Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, in which four people were shot dead and 15 others sustained gunshot wounds.
The incident, he said, underscores the urgency of operations against cult groups.
On behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, the Command assured Anambra residents of its unwavering resolve to deploy both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, including intensified surveillance, patrols, intelligence gathering and community engagement, to keep the state safe.
