KEY POINTS
- The Anambra secessionist arrest followed a coordinated intelligence sweep.
- The recovered weapons strengthen the case tied to the suspect.
- Earlier arrests show a pattern linked to the Anambra secessionist arrest.
The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended a 25-year-old man during a pre-dawn intelligence operation in the Ihiala Local Government Area, an action police assert is linked to ongoing efforts to uncover alleged members of a banned secessionist group operating in the region. The suspect, Friday Anyikame, was apprehended during an operation conducted by a Rapid Response Squad unit based in Awkuzu following many days of intensified surveillance.
Anambra secessionist arrest expands probe
On Friday, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, announced that operatives apprehended the suspect and seized two pump-action rifles together with 29 live cartridges. The seizure was a component of a comprehensive crackdown mandated by Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, who has instructed enhanced surveillance and raid operations throughout Anambra as security services monitor activities associated with armed groups.
The police statement indicates that the operation occurred on November 20, 2025. Ikenga stated that Anyikame was apprehended in Ihiala and revealed his association with an armed faction. During interrogation, the suspect informed investigators that he operated from a camp situated in Ogbaru LGA, an area that security personnel have surveilled for months due to escalating worries regarding violent activities associated with extremist factions.
Police deepen Anambra secessionist arrest efforts
Ikenga reported that the Commissioner of Police commended the Rapid Response Squad for the efficiency and coordination of the operation and directed officers to escalate targeted raids to locate further members suspected of concealing themselves inside communities throughout the state. The official stated that the command is refining its search for fugitives associated with the organization and is dedicated to “dismantling their criminal network in Anambra,” indicating that additional arrests are anticipated.
According to punch, the police emphasized their need for citizens to remain vigilant and furnish information that may assist current operations. Local authorities assert that public tips have been essential in prior arrests, particularly in remote areas where armed organizations allegedly have hideouts.
Comparable arrests have been documented in recent months. In October, PUNCH Online reported that the Anambra State Police Command apprehended another suspected member and purported informant of a secessionist organization, 62-year-old Bernard Odinchefu. Investigators reported that he orchestrated a comprehensive extortion network in certain areas of Ihiala LGA, extracting illicit fees from merchants in Isseke and Orsumoghu. Traders were reportedly compelled to remit ₦10,000 or more monthly, while families organizing funerals were required to pay ₦100,000 or more. Authorities reported that Odinchefu transmitted the monies to his superior in a terrorist camp prior to his apprehension by operatives from the Rapid Response Squad in Awkuzu.
