The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, has said the relentless military onslaught against terrorists in Zamfara State has thrown notorious terrorist kingpin Bello Turji into a desperate scramble for escape. Musa also said the elimination of two of his top commanders, Kachalla Gwammade and Kachalla Shehu on Thursday night has sent shivers down the spine of Turji. He stated this on Friday at the closing ceremony of the CDS Joint Task Force Commanders Conference in Abuja. “In a follow-up operation, troops advanced into Tufan and Mashima villages, further dislodging armed groups and pushing them deeper into the forest. “In a symbolic strike against banditry, the security forces also returned to the once-cleared area of Bello Turji. “The remaining portions of his camp, previously targeted in past offensives, were obliterated in a final suit to erase his presence from the region. “Reports indicate that both Turji and Sani Black are now in this area desperately seeking escape...
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested nine suspects linked to the gruesome killing of Justice Azuka, the lawmaker representing Onitsha North 1 Constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Azuka was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunaobankpa Road in Inland Town, Onitsha, while returning home for Christmas.
His decomposing body was discovered by the roadside near the Second Niger Bridge in the early hours of Thursday.
Announcing the arrests in a press statement on Friday, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra, CP Nnaghe Itam, disclosed that a joint security team comprising police operatives and Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) personnel had launched a mission to rescue the abducted lawmaker, only to find his lifeless body.
“Our interaction today is to highlight some of the notable breakthroughs recorded by the Anambra State Police Command on major incidents in the state within the period under review,” Itam said.
“Many of you are aware of the gruesome murder of Justice Azuka, the State House of Assembly member representing Onitsha North Constituency 1 in the Anambra State House of Assembly who was abducted on December 24, 2024, in Onitsha.
“This serious incident motivated the Command to go the extra mile in intelligence gathering and discreet investigation.
“In the early hours of February 6, 2025, at the Second Niger Bridge, the joint security team comprising the police and AVG operatives, on a mission to rescue the abducted State House of Assembly member representing Onitsha North, found his lifeless body at the scene. (May his soul rest in perfect peace.)”
According to him, on the same day the body was discovered, “the command operatives in a joint operation with Anambra State vigilante operatives, acting on intelligence-led information, arrested nine suspects actively involved in this unfortunate incident and recovered two pump-action guns.
“One of the suspects sustained a gunshot injury in his leg during a gun duel with the Police operatives.”
The arrested suspects include: Ugochukwu Onuorah (30); Ikemefuna Ossai (20); Ikenna Orugu (27); Chibuike Obiefuna (19); Chinonso Olisa (19); Chinedu Okoli (21); David Ojini (25); and Peter Sunday (20), described as the most notorious, with a tattoo on his chest reading “No peace 4 d Government.”
The Commissioner also revealed that the command had successfully arrested “one Chidiebere Nwosu, a kidnap suspect in Uruagu, Nnewi, and neutralised some of his gang members that were involved in the attack of Police personnel attached to the Rapid Response Squad after a successful arrest on 3rd October 2024.”
He further disclosed: “We have also neutralized more than 100 notorious criminals and successfully destroyed many criminal camps in Ufuma, Eziowelle, Achalla, Ogbaru, and many other places in the State.”
CP Itam extended his appreciation to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, “for his guidance and overall support,” and also thanked “the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, sister agencies, the media, residents of the State, Anambra State Vigilante operatives, Civil Society Groups, Organisations, and many others for their unflinching support within the nine months that I have spent in the State as the Commissioner of Police.”
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