Police arrest four more suspects in Anambra murder of Cameroonian nationals

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four more suspects in connection with the murder of three Cameroonian nationals whose bodies were found floating in a river in Anambra West Local Government Area in November 2025.

According to the State Police Spokesman, Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrests followed confessions by two suspects previously detained, who had been assisting with information. The four newly arrested men were apprehended on February 13, 2026, at a shrine in Nando, Anambra East LGA, after a gun duel with police operatives.

The suspects include Chukwuemeka Emmanuel, also known as “Ugoebenajah,” aged 27 and alleged chief priest of the shrine, alongside Nwabunne Bright (27), Chinecherem Chiama (21), and Michael Ekwunife (38). Police recovered two pump-action guns, one locally made Beretta pistol, a machete, assorted charms, and ammunition during the operation. One of the suspects sustained a bullet injury to the thigh and is receiving treatment in hospital.

Ikenga explained that about 30 armed men were observed at the shrine. When police approached, the men opened fire, prompting officers to respond. The prime suspect, Uchenna Mmaduamaka Nicholas, and other gang members escaped with bullet wounds.

The four arrested suspects are currently undergoing interrogation, while efforts continue to apprehend the fleeing members of the criminal gang. Police have urged the public to provide information to aid ongoing investigations.

This development follows the discovery of the decomposing bodies of the three Cameroonian women last November, which had prompted the initial arrests of two suspects, Nonso Augustine Akpeh, 37, and Kingsley Akpeh, 44. The police had launched investigations to locate the third suspect, who remains at large.