The Enugu State Police Command has arrested four suspects and recovered three vehicles allegedly stolen in Enugu and Anambra states, including one linked to a kidnapping case.

Police spokesperson SP Daniel Ndukwe said the breakthroughs were recorded in separate intelligence-led operations carried out by different units of the command.

In one operation, operatives attached to the Central Police Station, working with members of a Neighbourhood Watch group, arrested 22-year-old Joseph Nsor at Chris Chemist Roundabout in Enugu. Nsor, who reportedly arrived in the city without a fixed address, was intercepted while attempting to flee with a Toyota Hiace bus.

According to Ndukwe, preliminary findings showed that the suspect gained access to the bus and started it using a master key. The vehicle was promptly recovered, its owner traced, and Nsor was subsequently arraigned in court and remanded at the Enugu Correctional Centre.

In a separate operation, the command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad detained a suspected cultist, identified as Ugwuanyi Samuel, also known as “Sammyblack,” a member of the Supreme Vikings Confraternity. He was found with a red Toyota Camry (Spider) bearing a National Association of Nigerian Students plate number.

Investigations revealed that the car belonged to a woman from Ogbunike in Anambra State. The vehicle was allegedly snatched in June 2022 after her son was abducted at gunpoint while driving it. The victim was later released after his family paid a ransom of N500,000, but the car was taken away and repainted.

Further intelligence-led operations by the same Tactical Squad led to the arrest of two more suspects at New Garriki, Awkunanaw, Enugu. The suspects, identified as 27-year-old Chinonso John and 41-year-old ex-convict Samuel Nwankwor, were found with a red Toyota Matrix with registration number AAH 785 AE.

Ndukwe said the duo confessed to snatching the vehicle at gunpoint in Awka, Anambra State, and admitted involvement in other armed robbery operations involving a Lexus RX 350 and a Toyota Highlander. Efforts are ongoing to track down their alleged accomplices.

The police spokesperson added that the remaining suspects and recovered exhibits would be transferred to the Anambra State Police Command for further investigation and prosecution.

Enugu State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, reaffirmed the command’s resolve to clamp down on criminal networks and urged residents to support security agencies with credible information while taking basic precautions to secure their vehicles.