The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old suspected kidnapper, Olisa Oyelu, alias “Obele”, over his alleged involvement in a 2023 kidnapping operation that resulted in the death of a victim.
Oyelu was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday by operatives of the State Criminal Investigation Department following sustained intelligence gathering and investigation into the incident.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to Ikenga, Oyelu was allegedly a member of a notorious armed robbery and kidnapping gang led by a suspected criminal identified as “Pincode”.
He said the suspect was the last identified member of the gang to be arrested in connection with the 2023 incident.
The police spokesman said investigations into the case had continued since the incident, with detectives working to identify and apprehend all those allegedly involved.
Following the completion of the investigation, Oyelu will be transferred to the correctional centre, where Pincode and four other suspects are already remanded pending the outcome of their court proceedings.
Ikenga said the latest arrest represented significant progress in the investigation and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to bringing all persons allegedly connected to the crime to justice.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Ama, commended the officers involved in the operation for their perseverance, dedication and intelligence-led approach.
Ama assured residents that the command would continue to pursue criminal suspects within and outside the state.
He also urged members of the public to provide the police with credible and timely information, stressing that cooperation between security agencies and residents was essential to combating crime.
