The Anambra State Police Command has made a breakthrough in the heart-wrenching case of the kidnapped and murdered female bank manager, Ifeoma, by apprehending two key suspects allegedly behind the heinous crime. The suspects — Monday Egbe, 32, and Kenneth Nnoga, 28 — were arrested on May 28, 2025, following a meticulously coordinated operation by the police in a neighbouring state where the duo had gone into hiding.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the arrests mark a significant stride in the ongoing manhunt to dismantle a dangerous kidnap-for-ransom syndicate that has terrorized Anambra and neighbouring states.
The tragic incident, which sent shockwaves across the state earlier this year, involved the abduction of the young bank manager, simply identified as Ifeoma, in the bustling city of Onitsha. Despite frantic efforts by her family to secure her release — including paying a staggering N14 million ransom — the victim was gruesomely murdered by her captors. Her lifeless body was later dumped at Ideani Junction along the Nnobi/Alor Road, a discovery that ignited outrage and fear among residents.
“The operatives, while on diligent investigations, tracked and arrested the suspects — Monday Egbe and Kenneth Nnoga — at their criminal hideout in a neighbouring state,” Ikenga disclosed. “They are currently undergoing intense interrogation to extract more information on the gang’s operations and assist in capturing other fleeing members.”
The police emphasized that this development is the result of painstaking investigations, intelligence gathering, and surveillance operations initiated after the horrific incident.
Reacting to the arrests, the Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Ikioye Orutugu, expressed deep condolences to the victim’s family and reiterated the Command’s unyielding resolve to protect lives and secure justice.
“This arrest sends a strong and unambiguous message to criminal elements: Anambra State will never be a safe ground for your evil enterprises,” Orutugu stated. “We will pursue every lead, smoke out every accomplice, and ensure justice is not only done but seen to be done.”
He further urged the public to remain vigilant and proactive by providing timely and credible information that could assist in clamping down on criminal activities.
As investigations continue, the Anambra State Police Command reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all those involved in the brutal killing of Ifeoma are apprehended and brought before the law, assuring residents that the days of impunity for such dastardly crimes are over.
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