By Sunny A. David, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command says its operatives have killed two suspected kidnappers and armed robbers during a gun battle along Eziowelle Road in Idemili North Local Government Area of the state.
The operation, according to the Command, took place in the early hours of Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following credible intelligence about the presence of a suspected criminal gang in the area.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued in Awka.
Ikenga said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, were mobilised to the location after receiving information that suspected kidnappers and armed robbers had been sighted along the Eziowelle Road.
He said the suspects opened fire on the police team when they arrived, resulting in a gun duel.
“During the ensuing encounter, two of the suspects sustained fatal gunshot injuries, while other members of the gang fled the scene with varying degrees of gunshot wounds,” the statement said.
The police said one AK-47 rifle with a magazine containing four rounds of live ammunition was recovered from the scene.
The operatives also recovered one pump-action gun and five live cartridges.
The Command, under the leadership of CP Nnanna Oji Ama, said it would continue to intensify intelligence-led and proactive operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks across the state.
The police further disclosed that investigations had commenced, while efforts were being intensified to track down the fleeing members of the gang.
The Command assured residents that further developments regarding the operation would be communicated as the investigation progresses.
