Anambra Police Raid Secessionist Hideout, Arrest 65-year-old Suspect, Six Others

The Anambra State Police Command has raided some criminal hideouts across the state, recovering several sophisticated arms and ammunition and arresting some suspects, including a 65-year-old secessionist member and six other suspects.
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The command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Friday, said the clearance operation was carried out by the operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit on Thursday in line with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu.

Ikenga explained that the joint security team, acting on credible information, raided identified black spots and criminal hideouts in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area and Umudioka, Dinukofia LGA of the state.

According to him, the operation resulted in the arrest of a 65-year-old male, Ifeanyi Ogbuagbo, in Umudioka as well as six other suspects identified as Chisom Okafor, female, 25 years; Onyedika Moses, male, 36 years; Iruka Nwaonu, male, 30 years; Joseph Nwankwo, male, 36 years; Chukwujekwu Nwoso, male, 32 years; and Akanimo Orok, male, 40 years.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Police Command has continued its sustained security operations and raid of criminal hideouts across the State, in line with the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu and the Command’s intensified operational strategy against violent crimes, cultism and illicit drug activities.

“Acting on credible intelligence in the evening of August 13, 2026, Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit arrested a 65-year-old male, Ifeanyi Ogbuagbo, in Umudioka.

“A careful search of his residence led to the recovery of an Army uniform and expended shells of ammunition concealed in a black polythene bag.

“The suspect has been taken into custody for investigation, while efforts are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the recovered items and his alleged activities.”

According to him, in the evening of the same date, operatives acting on credible intelligence and in furtherance of the directive to raid identified black spots and criminal hideouts stormed a suspected criminal hideout in Ekwulobia, Aguata Local Government Area.

“The operation resulted in the arrest of six suspects identified as: Chisom Okafor, female, 25 years; Onyedika Moses, male, 36 years; Iruka Nwaonu, male, 30 years; Joseph Nwankwo, male, 36 years; Chukwujekwu Nwoso, male, 32 years; and Akanimo Orok, male, 40 years.

“During the operation, a sizeable quantity of dried weeds suspected to be Cannabis Sativa and other substances suspected to be illicit drugs were recovered,” he added.

Police

The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, reiterated that the Command will continue to deploy intelligence-led operations, strategic patrols and coordinated raids to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt illicit drug activities and deny criminals safe havens across Anambra State.

The CP further directs that the ongoing raid operation of criminal hideouts, drug-selling spots and other identified areas of criminal activities be intensified and sustained.
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ICPC Uncovers Official who Put 14 Family Members “Ghost Workers” on Government Payroll

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has uncovered cases of ghost workers allegedly inserted into government payrolls, including an official who enrolled 14 members of his family and another who allegedly collected 13 salaries.
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The ICPC Chairman, Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering the keynote address at the 2026 Economic Confidential Lecture and National Spokespersons Award, organised by Image Merchants Promotions Limited.

Aliyu said the commission’s investigation into ghost workers had exposed how individuals manipulated government payroll systems to receive multiple salaries.

He said, “We discovered that one person enrolled 14 members of his family. He lived in a religious hotel, a hotel at the public office, receiving salaries.”

The ICPC chairman added that another individual allegedly enrolled his wife, daughter, son and other family members and received 13 salaries.

“Another person enrolled his wife, his daughter, his son, and others and was receiving 13 salaries. ” he said.

Aliyu said the commission had also identified about 900 suspected ghost workers and published their names, challenging them to prove that they were genuine employees.

“We now secured income of about 900 ghost workers, which we published their names in papers,” he said.

He explained that the commission subsequently spent about a year investigating the suspected ghost workers, uncovering the methods used to insert fictitious names into government payrolls.

“We spent one year, one single year, on ghost workers,” Aliyu said.

According to him, in some cases, the names of the alleged ghost workers appeared on official payrolls with email addresses, while the bank account details were linked to other individuals.

“When they insert their names, you will see their name in the payroll. You will see their email. But when you check the account number, you will see the name of the person. So, that is how these things have been done,” he explained.

“Because, you know, once there is a ghost worker, there is ghost pension, there is ghost mortgage, there is ghost housing fund, there is ghost health insurance,” he said.

He said the commission’s intervention was aimed at protecting public resources and strengthening the economy, noting that fraudulent payroll practices imposed additional costs on the country.

The ICPC chairman also disclosed that the commission recovered more than N24bn in ghost pension funds in 2024.

“In 2024, we recovered over N24 billion ghost workers pension,” Aliyu said.

He said the commission had adopted cross-agency collaboration and other preventive measures to tackle corruption and recover government resources.

Aliyu stressed that the commission was increasingly focusing on preventing corruption and ensuring that government projects were properly executed rather than relying solely on criminal prosecution.

He said, “It is better for us to do that than to engage in filing criminal charges. How many charges can we file?.”

The ICPC chairman said the commission had recovered or secured government resources through interventions in projects and other areas, stressing that the ultimate objective was to ensure that Nigerians benefited from public expenditure.

He also called for greater use of data and technology in combating corruption, saying effective communication and access to reliable information were essential to building public confidence in anti-corruption efforts.

ICPC

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer of IMPR, Yusha’u Shuaib, said the lecture was organised to promote stronger governance through transparency, accountability and professional communication.

“We are honoured to host yet another gathering of leaders, professionals, scholars, and communication experts committed to strengthening governance, promoting transparency, and advancing excellence in public communication,” Shuaib said.
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EFCC Arraigns Chinwendu Fidelia Ohanebo Over Alleged N42million Fraud in Lagos

The Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, arraigned one Chinwendu Fidelia Ohanebo before Justice M.A. Lawal of the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, over an alleged N42,345,000 fraud.
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Ohanebo was arraigned on a two-count charge bordering on obtaining under false pretences and stealing by conversion to the tune of N42,345,000 (Forty-Two Million, Three Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand Naira).

The first count reads: “That you CHINWENDU FIDELIA OHANEBO sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of Forty Two Million Three Hundred and Forty Five Thousand Naira (N42,345,000.00) from one Musa Muhammed Jidda, under the false pretense for the supply of 45 liters of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the rate of N941 per liter and committed an offence of obtaining under false pretences contrary to Sections 1(1)(a) and 1(3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.”

The second count reads: “That you CHINWENDU FIDELIA OHANEBO sometime in 2025, in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, dishonestly converted the total Forty Two Million Three Hundred And Forty Five Thousand Naira (N42,345,000.00) property of one Musa Muhammed Jidda to your own personal use and committed an offence of stealing by conversion contrary to Section 280(1) (b) and punishable under section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

The defendant pleaded “guilty” to count one and “not guilty” to count two when the charges were read to her.

In view of her plea, prosecution counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa, asked the court for an adjournment to commence trial on count two of the charge.

EFCC

Justice M.A. Lawal adjourned the matter for review of facts on count one and commencement of trial on count two.

Subsequently, the judge ordered that the defendant be remanded in a Correctional facility pending the continuation of proceedings.
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