At least four suspected cultists operating around Nkpor communities, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state have been arrested by the operatives of the state police command, reports thegazellenews.com.
The Anambra State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the arrest of the suspects through a press statement issued on on Wednesday, 28 January, 2026.
Ikenga said the operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad attached to Obosi Sector, in collaboration with a vigilante team acting on credible information, arrested the suspects on Sunday, 25 January, 2026.
The state police image-maker, who said the arrest follows the recovery of a suspected stolen abandoned vehicle in Akuzo Nkpor in Idemili North LGA, added that the suspects include Hampo Chidiebere, male, 20 years, Chinonso Edeh, male, 22 years, Chinedu Agu, male, 21 years and Abuchi Anigbogu, male, 18 years respectively.
The statement read in part, “The implementation of the 2026 rigid strategic operational positioning of the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, to personnel to improve security and sustain safety across the state, has started yielding positive development.
“In the early hours of January 25, 2025, the operatives of the Special Anti-Cult Squad attached to Obosi Sector, in collaboration with a vigilante team from Akuzo Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, acting on credible information, arrested four suspected cultists in the Nkpor community.
“The suspects include Hampo Chidiebere, male, 20 years, Chinonso Edeh, male, 22 years, Chinedu Agu, male, 21 years and Abuchi Anigbogu, male, 18 years respectively. During interrogation, the suspects confessed to being members of the Barger Confraternity, a cult group alleged to be terrorising the Nkpor community and its environs. To this end, the operatives have intensified efforts aimed at arresting other members of the group and recovering their operational weapons.
“This follows the recovery of a suspected stolen abandoned vehicle in Akuzo Nkpor and arrest of four suspected cultists terrorising Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area.
The operatives, during their patrol, accosted a green coloured Honda Pilot Jeep with registration number KSF 671 BG, suspiciously parked within the area. A thorough search was conducted, during which blood stains were observed inside the vehicle. Consequently, the vehicle was recovered, and a necessary inquiry is ongoing to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the police publicist said in the statement.
Ikenga added assures the public of the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of lives and property across the state, adding that further updates will be provided as the investigations progress.
