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PHOTOS: Six suspects arrested, N8.2m ransom recovered as FCT police smash notorious kidnap and “one chance” syndicate led by woman

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Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command have arrested six suspected members of a kidnapping and “one chance” armed robbery syndicate and recovered N8.25 million allegedly paid as ransom for the release of a female victim abducted in Abuja.

The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, CP Ahmed Muhammed Sanusi, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 as part of the ongoing efforts to keep residents of the Federal Capital Territory abreast of the command’s anti-crime operations.

According to CP Sanusi, the operation was carried out by detectives attached to the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) following a distress report received on June 29, 2026 that a young woman had been abducted in the Maitama area of the FCT. People& Society

Sanusi said the kidnappers initially demanded N20 million but later accepted N8.25 million before releasing the victim on July 3.

Investigations and digital tracking reportedly traced the victim’s captivity to Kwan-Kwashe Village in neighbouring Niger State.

Operatives sustained surveillance after the victim regained freedom, leading to the arrest of six suspects on July 5 in Suleja, Niger State.

The suspects were identified as Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35, believed to be the gang leader; Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40; Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46; Jemimah Monday, 25; Gabriel Nnamchi, 14; and Stanley Nnamchi, 17.

Items recovered during the operation included the N8.25 million ransom, two vehicles—a Toyota Corolla and a Toyota Camry—a cutlass, seven pairs of AirPods, assorted jewellery suspected to have been stolen from previous victims, five mobile phones and a laptop.

See also  How we killed nurse, child in Abuja school after collecting ransom – Suspect

Preliminary investigations revealed that the suspected gang leader, Ifeoma Nnamchi, and Olanipekun Anuoluwa had previously been arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019, respectively, over similar offences.

“For those who were present at or listened to, my maiden press briefing upon assuming duty as the Commissioner of Police of the FCT Police Command, you will recall that I stated that I have a verifiable track record and that, wherever I serve, crime does not thrive,” the CP stated.

“In keeping with that commitment, I deployed a section of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit’s Tracking team on the 29th of June, 2026, following a distress call reporting the suspected kidnapping of a young lady in Maitama area of the FCT.

“The suspected kidnappers subsequently contacted the victim’s family and demanded a ransom of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000) for her release.

“Unknown to the suspects, we were already hot on their trail. Our digital tracking revealed that they had taken the victim out of the FCT and kept her in Kwan-kwashe Village, a remote settlement in Niger State.

“The suspects eventually collected a ransom of Eight Million, two Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira (N8,250,000) from the victim’s family before releasing her on the 3rd of July, 2026.

“This development did not deter us. We remained on the trail of the suspects until the 5th of July, 2026, when our operatives arrested six (6) members of the gang in Suleja area of Niger State, two of which are children of the gang leader.

The suspects are: 1. Ifeoma Nnamchi, 35 years old – Who is the gang leader 2. Peter Rasheed Onwunumah, 40 years old. 3. Olanipekun Anuoluwa, 46 years old. 4. Jemimah Monday, 25 years old. 5. Gabriel Nnamchi, 14 yrs. 6. Stanley Nnamchi, 17 yrs. All are residents of Niger State.

See also  PHOTOS: One suspect arrested as police bust illegal factory producing toxic fake drinks in Anambra

“Upon their arrest, the following exhibits were recovered from them: the sum of Eight Million, Two Hundred and fifty Thousand Naira (N8,250,000), being the ransom collected from the victim’s family, two fully tinted operational vehicles:- a Toyota Corolla with registration number SMK 559 FV and a Toyota Camry with Reg: No: YAB 712 NH, one (1) sharp cutlass, seven ear pods, several jewelries suspected to belong to their previous victims, five (5) phones and one (1) laptop.

“Further investigations revealed that the gang leader, Ifeoma Nnamchi, and the third accomplice, Olanipekun Anuoluwa are both repeat offenders who were previously arrested by the FCT Police Command in 2022 and 2019 respectively for the same offence.

“Despite her previous arrest, both suspects returned to constitute this syndicate, which has been operating along Kubwa Expressway, Maitama Federal Housing Road, and other locations within the FCT since 2024.

“The syndicate revealed that they have carried out several other “one chance” operations which they cannot accurately recall.

“But in their most recent operations, they have successfully kidnapped and robbed five (5) separate female victims and extorted ransoms amounting to Twelve Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (N12,800,000).

“The suspects and the recovered exhibits remain in police custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.”

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Crime

Ekiti CP orders probe as man allegedly kills wife during marital dispute

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The Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation into the alleged killing of a 25-year-old woman, Kehinde Onizeokaraga, by her husband, Sodiq Ibrahim, during a marital dispute in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Ibrahim, a meat seller, allegedly attacked his wife with a machete during an attempt to resolve their marital disagreement on Wednesday.

Sources who spoke about the incident on Thursday said the couple, who hailed from Kogi State, had been experiencing domestic challenges before the disagreement reportedly culminated in the fatal attack.

One of the sources said the deceased had previously left her husband’s home following what was described as irreconcilable differences between the couple.

The source said, “I am aware they had issues in the marriage to the extent that the lady had left the man’s house due to some irreconcilable differences.

“But recently, there were efforts by the suspect to resolve the issue with her, which the deceased was not comfortable with.”

The disagreement reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation during which Ibrahim allegedly attacked Kehinde repeatedly with a machete, inflicting severe injuries that led to her death.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene after the incident and remained at large as of Thursday.

The deceased’s body was said to have been deposited in a mortuary.

A cousin to the deceased, Yussuf Lawrence, said the family was devastated by the incident and appealed to the police and other relevant authorities to intensify efforts to apprehend the suspect.

Lawrence said the killing occurred during an attempt by some individuals to mediate in the couple’s marital dispute.

See also  Police arrest man for sharing fake video of bandit attack in Ekiti

He said, “While Kehinde was preparing to leave Ado Ekiti, she was invited to the residence of her father’s friend, who they said wanted to see her. Kehinde went to the residence on Wednesday morning, unaware that her husband would also be present.

“An attempt to resolve the couple’s marital disagreement subsequently degenerated into the fatal attack.”

Lawrence alleged that some persons had been taken into police custody in connection with the incident, although Ibrahim was still at large.

He also alleged that Ibrahim fled with Kehinde’s mobile phone, which he said the family believed could contain information that might assist the police in their investigation.

“We want Sadiq (Ibrahim) to be found and arrested. We want justice for Kehinde. Her parents are in pain, and my family is in serious agony. She didn’t deserve this,” he said.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, Sunday Abutu, said the Commissioner of Police had ordered a thorough investigation.

“The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter to ensure that the perpetrator is apprehended and brought to justice,” Abutu said.

Source: punchng.com

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Crime

Apapa Customs intercept N43.58bn drugs, expired goods

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The Nigeria Customs Service, Apapa Area Command, said it had seized 13 containers of hard drugs and expired goods with a total duty-paid value of N43.58bn.

Addressing journalists at the command while showcasing the seized containers, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, explained that the contents fell into three categories: “narcotics and controlled pharmaceuticals, security-sensitive equipment, and expired goods intended for human use.”

“The total duty-paid value of the seizures is N43.58bn,” Adeniyi said.

Giving details of the seizure, he said a 40-foot container with registration number HAMU 3086682 was carrying 4,777 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 2,388.5kg, packed in two cartons, 48 jumbo bags and 40 drums, alongside assorted automobile spare parts, one carton of coffee mix, eight cartons of oats and three vehicles.

He added that another 40ft container with registration number FANU 1933352 was carrying 8,287 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 4,145kg, packed in 162 bags and three vehicles.

The CGC pointed out that a 20ft container with registration number MSKU 3941778 was intercepted with 2,181 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 1,090.5kg, packed in five cartons, 148 bags of foreign parboiled rice, assorted automobile spare parts, two boxes of lithium batteries, one carton of PV combiner box, 19 cartons of turmeric, 33 cartons of mangala fish and 11 cartons of butterfly fish.

“Others include a 40ft container with registration number TCKU 7653306 carrying 1,700 cartons containing 169,998 bottles of codeine syrup, concealed under household items.

“Another container with registration number MSKU 9282528 was carrying two cartons containing 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones, extracted from the container. A 40ft container with registration number MRKU 6185100 conveying 425 bales of used clothing. A 40ft container with registration number SEKU 4685299 was carrying 422 bales of used clothing,” he said.

Adeniyi said the command also intercepted five containers loaded with expired tomato ketchup, antiseptic liquid, vaginal tablets and disposable nappies.

See also  Man jailed three years for defrauding bank N8.56bn

He emphasised that the three narcotics containers together were carrying 15,245 parcels of cannabis sativa weighing 7,624kg, while the used clothing amounted to 1,282 bales.

Adeniyi warned that the abuse of prohibited substances like codeine among young Nigerians had been a national concern for years, adding that its connection to violent conduct, family breakdown and the loss of productive lives was well documented.

According to him, a single container of this size would have supplied the trade for a considerable period. He said the cannabis interceptions resulted from inter-agency work with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, supported by intelligence from international security partners.

Adeniyi added that the service also extracted 108 units of high-definition dual-camera drones from an intercepted container.

“Drones have lawful uses, and the service has no quarrel with them. But equipment of this kind, in the wrong hands, becomes a means of surveillance, of reconnaissance and of delivery, and our security agencies have already met it in that role in the field,” he stressed.

He maintained that consignments of security-sensitive equipment arriving without necessary documents would be detained. “Our ports will not be a route through which capability reaches those who are working against the security of this country,” Adeniyi warned.

He disclosed that the seized items would be handed over to the relevant narcotics agencies for further action and closure.

Source: punchng.com

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Crime

Family begs IG to probe Anambra nursing student’s death

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The family of the late Chiamaka Chilaka, a student of the College of Nursing Sciences, Alor, Anambra State, has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to order a fresh investigation into her death, alleging foul play.

Chilaka reportedly died on June 14, 2026, in circumstances the family believes may have involved murder at a compound where she lived in Anambra State.

Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the family’s legal representative, Euphemia Eleonu, expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the investigation by the Anambra State Police Command.

Eleonu particularly faulted the release from detention of a prime suspect in the case, Ogochukwu Ugoeze, while, according to her, the investigation had yet to be concluded.

The family also alleged bias and compromise on the part of the investigating police officer, Supol Nwaije Francis of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka, and his immediate superior, CSP Ayorinde David, who is in charge of the Homicide Section of the SCID.

The allegations have not been independently verified.

The family further expressed concern that the police had not invited them to brief them on the progress of the investigation since Chilaka’s death.

Eleonu called for the two officers to recuse themselves from the case and for a new investigation team to be constituted.

She said, “In the interest of justice and to preserve the integrity of the investigation, we respectfully request that the following steps be taken: That in reference to the letter dated July 21, 2026, to the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, and duly acknowledged on July 27, 2026, the Investigating Police Officer, Supol Francis, based on shown bias and interest in the matter in favour of the suspect, Mr Ogochukwu Ugoeze, should recuse himself and the case be reassigned to another IPO/team.”

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The lawyer also asked the police to give the deceased’s immediate family a briefing on the status of the investigation, subject to legitimate investigative confidentiality.

She further urged the authorities to preserve all physical, forensic, documentary and electronic evidence relating to Chilaka’s death in accordance with proper chain-of-custody procedures.

Eleonu stressed that the determination of criminal responsibility should ultimately be made by a competent court based on admissible evidence.

She said, “Ultimately, the question whether any person is criminally responsible for Chiamaka’s death should be determined by a court of competent jurisdiction on admissible evidence and in accordance with the Constitution and not by media trial or administrative body.”

She also called for Ugoeze to be rearrested, arguing that suspects should not be treated as guilty or innocent outside the judicial process.

The lawyer said the family had suffered a devastating loss and deserved answers about the circumstances surrounding Chilaka’s death.

Eleonu said the family wanted to know what happened to their daughter, how she died, who was responsible and whether every reasonable line of investigation had been pursued.

“For this reason, we respectfully urge the Nigeria Police Force, the Anambra State Government, the relevant prosecutorial authorities and the media to approach this matter with restraint, utmost professionalism and humanity,” she said.

Eleonu expressed confidence that the Inspector-General of Police would intervene and direct a fresh investigation.

“We have 99 per cent confidence in the IG to direct that the Police Commissioner of Anambra State Command directs that the IPO recuse himself and disband the entire team investigating this case,” she said.

See also  Police arrest man for sharing fake video of bandit attack in Ekiti

The deceased’s elder brother, Ikenna Chilaka, said the family had been devastated since her death and appealed to the IGP to intervene and help them secure justice.

He said, “I call on the Inspector-General of Police to come to our aid, to help us find justice for my sister. All suspects should be re-arrested. Every suspect should be in custody.

“The court is the only one that has the authority to exonerate or release anybody. I am not happy with the way the investigation has been going.”

Source: punchng.com

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