By Onwe Wisdom Pan Afric Reporters Awka, Anambra Sept. 15, 2025
The Anambra State Police Command has intensified its efforts to tackle the rising menace of cultism, drug abuse, and other disturbing societal vices, arresting 54 suspects in a series of raids across the state.
The arrests, which include 39 males and 15 females, follow renewed concerns by the Command over the increasing rate of moral decay among youths aged between 18 and 26. Police authorities say the disturbing trend has been amplified by cult-related activities and a wave of self-orchestrated kidnapping incidents by young people seeking to extort their parents.
Highlighting the dangers of this trend, the command in press release e-signed by the Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer SP Tochukwu Ikenga recalled previous cases where young suspects staged their own abductions, collecting millions of naira in ransom from unsuspecting family members.
The press release accounts the most recently, operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad (SPACS), Enugwu-Ukwu, on September 12 arrested 25-year-old Chiderah Obochi at Ifitedunu, along Old Onitsha/Awka Road. Obochi, found with substances suspected to be Indian hemp, confessed to being a drug runner in Dunukofia LGA. His confession led to the recovery of 11 bags of Cannabis Sativa from a hideout in Umudioka Village. The recovered substances will be handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for further action.
In a separate operation on September 14, operatives raided a notorious black spot in Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, where cultists reportedly held meetings. The raid led to the arrest of 53 suspects (38 males and 15 females), who are currently undergoing profiling. Those found culpable will be charged to court.
The Command strongly condemned these vices, attributing them partly to poor parental supervision, while warning that drug abuse continues to embolden youths to commit violent crimes. It further noted recent cult-related violence, including a deadly attack at a burial in Ezi-Ogidi, Idemili North LGA, that left four dead and 15 injured.
Reassuring Ndi Anambra, Commissioner of Police CP Ikioye Orutugu pledged the Command’s unwavering commitment to restoring sanity, safeguarding lives and property, and ensuring the state remains safe for all law-abiding residents.
