The Anambra State Police Command has successfully raided a notorious criminal camp located in Ogbunka, Orumba South Local Government Area of the state, following a coordinated operation involving multiple security agencies.

Spokesperson for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, in a statement on Saturday, said the raid was carried out by a joint security team comprising personnel from the Nigerian Army (302 Artillery Regiment), the Navy, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Anambra State Vigilante Group. The operation, which lasted six hours, was based on sustained intelligence gathering.

Ikenga disclosed that the security operatives were met with heavy resistance as the criminals engaged them in a prolonged gun battle. However, due to the superior firepower of the security team, the criminals were overpowered, leading to the dismantling of their camp.

“During the operation, some of the hoodlums managed to flee with bullet wounds,” Ikenga revealed. “The operatives also recovered a large cache of relief materials including foodstuffs, cooking utensils, and parts of dismembered, suspected stolen vehicles.”

Images shared by the command showed some of the recovered items, pointing to the possible involvement of the gang in kidnapping and car theft operations.

Ikenga added that explosive devices, which the criminals had rigged around the camp as shields, were successfully defused by the joint team.

“The operatives have taken over the area to maintain security dominance, prevent regrouping by the criminals, and track down those who escaped,” he said.

He further assured residents of Anambra State that the command remains committed to the protection of lives and property, and that the confidence reposed in the police and other security agencies by the people of the state is not taken for granted.

The operation marks a significant step in the state’s ongoing efforts to rid communities of criminal elements and restore peace and order in volatile areas.