The Enugu State Police have arrested a dispatch rider involved in the distribution of illicit drugs.

Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command attached to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Squad apprehended the suspect on 18 January 2026 in the early hours of the morning.

A statement issued by the Command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, identified the suspect as Desmond Obodo Chilota, aged 27.

Ndukwe said Desmond was arrested during a routine security patrol in the Uwani area of Enugu, and a large quantity of highly restricted tramadol drugs was recovered from him.

“The suspect was disguised as a dispatch rider and was conveying the illicit drugs on a red Kymco motorcycle, which was also recovered upon his arrest,” Ndukwe said.

He added that during the same patrol, at about 7:12 a.m., “the operatives further recovered an abandoned bag containing substances suspected to be crystal methamphetamine (locally known as ‘Mkpuru-mmiri’) and an Android mobile phone at Onu-Asata, Ogui area of Enugu. The suspected drug peddlers reportedly abandoned the bag and fled upon sighting the police operatives.”

“Efforts are currently ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects, while the arrested suspect and recovered exhibits, including the motorcycle, are undergoing further investigation,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the operations and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustained patrols and intelligence-led efforts aimed at curbing drug-related and other criminal activities across the state.

He urged citizens to remain law-abiding, vigilant, and supportive of the Police in the fight against crime.

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Meanwhile, operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have foiled an attempted kidnapping along the Adani–Nsukka Road, killing one armed suspect and recovering an AK-47 rifle, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred around 6:00 a.m. on Sunday, 18 January, at the Ngene-Ukwu axis of the highway.

Officers from the Adani Division, working with members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, intercepted the suspects as they allegedly emerged from a nearby bush to abduct occupants of a passing vehicle.

SP Ndukwe, the command’s spokesperson, confirmed that during the exchange of gunfire, one suspect was “neutralised,” and an AK-47 rifle loaded with two rounds of live ammunition was recovered. “Upon sighting the operatives, the suspects opened fire, but the operatives responded with superior firepower, leading to the neutralisation of one of the kidnappers,” he said. Other members of the gang reportedly fled into the surrounding forest with gunshot wounds.

The police said a manhunt is underway to apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle the criminal network behind the attempted abduction.

“Efforts have been intensified to trace, identify, and arrest the fleeing suspects, as well as dismantle the entire criminal network,” the command added. (The Guardian)