By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on violent crime, with the arrest of a suspected notorious cultist and kidnapper who confessed to multiple killings and abductions within the state.
This was made known in a press statement issued on Wednesday by the Police Public Relations Officer of the State, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, who also revealed that the suspect was apprehended by operatives of the Special Anti-Cultism Unit in Enugwu-Ukwu on April 30, 2026.
According to the statement, the suspect, identified as Favour Izunna, also known as “Njoku,” aged 22, is a member of the dreaded Vikings Confraternity, where he allegedly operated as an executioner, terrorising Obosi and surrounding communities.
The Police Spokesman revealed that following the arrest and subsequent confession of the suspect, the team, operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Awkuzu carried out further operations which led to the recovery of firearms and ammunition from a criminal hideout in Obosi.
According to him, items recovered from the suspect include a pump-action gun, a locally made Beretta pistol, five live cartridges, and seven rounds of 7.5mm ammunition.
The PPRO said, the suspect, while speaking during interrogation, reportedly confessed to his involvement in the killing of about five persons; although he could only clearly recall names of three of his victims, identified as Somtochukwu Alfred, Udechukwu Izuchukwu, and Izuchukwu Obi.
The Police Spokesman further revealed that the suspect alleged that some individuals sponsored the killings, contracting him to carry out deadly assignments within the community.
Beyond the murders, the suspect also admitted to participating in several kidnapping operations across Anambra State, mentioning victims such as Emeka Chukwuka and Chinelo Onyeka, among others, thereby painting a picture of a network of organized criminal activities.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ikioye Orutugu, directed intensified efforts towards tracking down other members of the gang as well as the alleged sponsors currently at large.
The Command reassured residents of its sustained commitment to dismantling criminal networks and restoring public confidence in security operations across the state.
