By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

A 23-year-old woman, whose name was given as Onyinye Okonkwo, has been arrested by a joint security team in Anambra State for allegedly playing a role in the kidnap and robbery of a businessman who was stripped of the N24 million in his bank account and his Toyota Highlander SUV.

The state Police Command in a statement on Wednesday said the female suspect described as an accomplice in a notorious kidnap and armed robbery gang, was apprehended in the early hours of October 27, 2025, by operatives attached to the 33 Police Station, Onitsha, in collaboration with members of Agunechemba Security, Nkwelle-Ezunaka Unit.

Police said she is currently assisting detectives with vital information that may lead to the arrest of the fleeing members of the syndicate.

According to the statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the victim was waylaid by five armed men gang operating in a Toyota Corolla at Nkwelle GRA Gate and reportedly forced the victim into the boot of his own vehicle, drove him to a bush in Umuoji, where they transferred N24 million from his bank account before abandoning him and escaping with the vehicle.

The statement reads in part: “Acting on technologically driven intelligence, the joint team traced the movement of the suspects to Nawfia town in Njikoka Local Government Area and subsequently to Ogidi, in Idemili Council Area where they engaged security operatives in sporadic gunfire before fleeing.

“The stolen white Toyota Highlander, with registration number RBC 649 CN, was recovered at the scene, while Onyinye was arrested for allegedly aiding the gang.”

With the elections drawing close, the Anambra State Police Command has intensified patrols and surveillance operations across the state, particularly ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election.

The Police spokesperson however assured residents that the police would continue to leverage intelligence-led policing to dismantle criminal networks and ensure a safe environment for all residents of the state.