The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a suspected cultist and political thug, Onyeaka Odogwu, popularly known as Red Angel, as part of intensified efforts to ensure a peaceful and credible governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Police spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Awka on Sunday, said the 29-year-old suspect was apprehended during an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad (SPACS) in Enugu-Ukwu at about 11:30 a.m. on Friday, October 24.
“Recovered from the suspect were two pump-action guns, two English double-barrel guns, three live cartridges, red cult regalia, and five caps—three black and two red—bearing inscriptions linked to the Vikings Confraternity,” Ikenga stated.
He added that during interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a member of the Vikings Confraternity and admitted to participating in political thuggery.
According to the police, Red Angel later led SPACS operatives to an armoury located in Omor, where more weapons and cult materials were recovered. “All exhibits have been documented as evidence, while investigations are ongoing to track down other gang members and associates,” Ikenga added.
The Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has reiterated the command’s resolve to maintain peace and order before, during, and after the governorship election. He warned that the police would not tolerate any activities from cult groups, armed gangs, or political thugs capable of disrupting public order.
“CP Orutugu has also urged parents, community leaders, and youth groups to caution young people against joining cults or engaging in violence,” Ikenga said.
Meanwhile, in a related development, the command announced the arrest of seven suspected members of the Black Axe Confraternity during an initiation ceremony in a bush at Obinagu, Abagana, in Njikoka Local Government Area.
The suspects were reportedly arrested by SPACS operatives in collaboration with the Agunechemba Vigilante Operatives in the early hours of Sunday, October 26, 2025.
Items recovered from the scene included a 25-litre keg containing a red liquid substance, a red ritual cloth, two wooden drums, and several pairs of footwear belonging to the suspects.
The police said investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other accomplices, assuring the public of continued operations to dismantle cult networks and secure the state ahead of the upcoming election.
