Anambra police arrest 13 suspects in separate cult, robbery investigations
Police in Anambra State say they have arrested 13 suspects in separate operations linked to alleged cult activity, armed robbery and other suspected offences.
The arrests were carried out between September 30 and October 5, 2026, according to the state police command.
Police also reported recovering a locally made firearm, ammunition, suspected illicit substances, cult-related items and an abandoned Toyota Highlander during the operations.
Nine arrested in cult-related investigation
Police spokesperson SP Tochukwu Ikenga said officers from the Okpoko Division raided a suspected criminal hideout around Coca-Cola Market in Okpoko on September 30.
One suspect was arrested during that operation.
Police said they recovered a locally made double-barrel pistol, one live cartridge and charms.
A subsequent search of the suspect’s residence also led to the recovery of items police described as connected to the Vikings Confraternity.
Police said preliminary investigation suggested possible cult-related activity and that information obtained during the investigation led officers to identify additional suspects.
Eight more people were arrested on October 5 and transferred to the Anti-Cult Unit for further investigation and possible prosecution.
The police allegations have not been tested in court, and the arrests do not establish that any of the suspects is guilty of cult membership or another offence.
Four arrested in separate robbery investigation
In a separate operation on October 4, police said officers from the Rapid Response Squad, working with Agunechemba Vigilante personnel in Onitsha, arrested four suspects over alleged conspiracy and armed robbery.
Police said quantities of suspected illicit substances were recovered during the operation.
According to the command, preliminary investigation allegedly linked the four suspects to a six-person group suspected of robbing shuttle-bus operators at gunpoint and diverting company goods.
Police also said the suspects made statements implicating themselves in offences under investigation, including the alleged diversion of goods valued at about ₦40 million.
Those statements remain police claims at this stage.
The reported ₦40 million figure is therefore an allegation within the investigation, not an established loss or judicial finding.
There is no established court finding that the suspects committed the alleged offences, and the investigation remains ongoing.
Abandoned Highlander recovered in Ogidi
Police separately recovered an abandoned green Toyota Highlander during an intelligence-led patrol in Ogidi on October 5.
The command said preliminary findings indicated that the vehicle had allegedly been snatched from its owner at Ogidi Building Materials on August 16.
That vehicle history remains a police preliminary finding rather than an independently established fact.
What police say happens next
Police Commissioner Nnanna Oji Ama said the command would continue intelligence-led operations against cultism, armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
The command said investigations into the separate cases were continuing.
For now, the established position is that 13 people have been arrested in multiple police operations, several items have been recovered, and investigators have made allegations linking some of the suspects to cult-related activity and armed robbery.
Those allegations remain subject to further investigation and any subsequent court process.
