Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’s Violent Crime Response Unit (IGP-VCRU) attached to the Anambra State Police Command have raided a suspected cultists’ hideout in Awada, recovering two AK-47 magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and other police-related items.
The operation, carried out on the evening of June 20, 2026, formed part of the Command’s intensified crackdown on cultism and other violent crimes across the state.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the intelligence-led operation targeted a notorious criminal hideout along Nwaziki Street, Awada, in Idemili North Local Government Area, an area identified as a stronghold for cult-related activities.
Ikenga disclosed that although no suspect was arrested during the raid, preliminary investigations indicated that the suspected cultists fled the scene before the arrival of the police operatives.
He said the recovered exhibits included two AK-47 magazines, 60 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition and other police-related items believed to have been abandoned by the fleeing suspects.
According to him, investigations have commenced to identify and apprehend those behind the recovered weapons and establish possible links to other criminal activities in the state.
The Police spokesman added that efforts had been intensified to dismantle the criminal network and ensure all those connected with the exhibits were brought to justice.
Commending the operatives for the successful operation, the Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, praised their intelligence-driven and proactive approach in the fight against crime.
He reaffirmed the Command’s resolve to sustain aggressive operations against cult groups, criminal hideouts and other violent offenders across Anambra State.
Orutugu assured residents that the Police Command would not relent until criminal elements were completely flushed out of the state.
He reiterated the commitment of the Command to strengthening security, protecting lives and property and ensuring that Anambra remains safe for all law-abiding citizens.
