Enugu sweep: three nabbed for robbery, alleged cult ties — guns, bike, charms in tow

By: Oluwaseun Lawal

It played out in quick beats. A lead. A move. Then cuffs. The Enugu State Police Command says three suspects are now off the streets over armed robbery and what looks like cult activity. This, they insist, is part of a steady push to choke violent crime—no letup. SP Daniel Ndukwe put it out late Tuesday, noting the case files are open and the suspects will be taken to court once investigations is concluded. The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, hailed the team and told them to keep their foot on the gas. No victory laps. Not yet.

The names are familiar now. Okafor Chukwuka, 28, was picked up on August 20. On him, a locally made double‑barrel gun. Not a toy. Preliminary findings tie him to an earlier stick‑up in Nara Unataeze, Nkanu East LGA—about two weeks back—where a motorcycle was allegedly taken at gunpoint. Different day, same week, two others came into the net: Emeka Odo, 45, and Ugochukwu Eze, 35. They were arrested on August 18 with items the police say were stolen, and a firearm in the mix. Odo, the Command notes, admitted he robbed a rider and flipped the motorcycle to Eze. Simple. Ugly. Profitable—until it wasn’t.

Evidence piled up. There’s firearms and a motorcycle too, plus live cartridges and those small items locals call charms. The kind people tuck under shirts, swear it works. Some of this was seized on the spot, the rest traced. The Command have kept pressure on supply lines like these—buyers, sellers, the quiet middlemen. It’s patient work. A grind.

Giwa’s message to residents was plain enough: talk to us. Share credible tips early so we can move before the next hit. Effective policing loves good timing. And neighbors who pick up the phone. He also restated the promise every law‑abiding person wants to hear—that Enugu will be kept safe, and that the effort won’t slow because a headline looks good today. Not happening.

For now, the trio sit in custody. Interviews continue. Leads are being tested. More names may follow, or maybe not. That’s how these things go. What’s clear is the tone: the Command is staying on this, and the streets, they can feel it.