Anambra Police Arrest 25-Year-Old Suspected Kidnapper Linked to 2023 Killing

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old suspected kidnapper, Olisa Oyelu, also known as “Obele”, over his alleged involvement in a 2023 kidnapping operation that resulted in the death of a victim.

The command said Oyelu was also suspected of involvement in armed robbery and was allegedly the last identified member of a notorious kidnapping and robbery gang led by a suspected criminal known as “Pincode”.

The police spokesman in Anambra State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the arrest in a statement issued on Thursday.

Ikenga said operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department arrested Oyelu in the early hours of Wednesday, September 23, following sustained intelligence gathering and investigation.

According to the police, the suspect was allegedly an active member of the gang involved in the 2023 kidnapping operation.

The command said the incident, which led to the death of the victim, prompted an extensive investigation aimed at identifying, arresting and prosecuting all those allegedly connected with the crime.

“The Anambra State Police Command Operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department in the early hours of September 23 have arrested Olisa Oyelu alias ‘Obele’ ‘M’, aged 25 years, the last identified member of the notorious armed robbery and kidnapping gang led by a suspected criminal known as ‘Pincode’, in connection with a 2023 kidnapping incident which resulted in the death of the victim,” the statement said.

The police said Oyelu would be handed over to the correctional centre after the conclusion of investigative proceedings.

The command added that Pincode and four other suspects were already being held at the correctional centre while awaiting the judgment of the court.

The police described Oyelu’s arrest as a significant development in the ongoing investigation and reiterated its commitment to ensuring that everyone found to have participated in the crime is brought to justice.

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Ama, commended the operatives for their perseverance, dedication and intelligence-led approach to the investigation.

Ama also assured residents that the command would continue to pursue suspected criminal elements within and outside the state until they are brought before the law.

The commissioner urged members of the public to continue providing the police with credible and timely information, stressing that security remains a shared responsibility.

The command did not provide further details about the identity of the 2023 kidnapping victim or the specific circumstances surrounding the death.