Operatives of the Abia State Police Command have arrested key suspects linked to the deadly attack on the Uratta Divisional Police Headquarters in Aba, rescued 10 stolen children, and recovered 15 illegal firearms alongside 30 stolen vehicles during a comprehensive state-wide security operation.
​Briefing journalists during a press conference at the Command Headquarters in Umuahia on Friday, November 6, 2026, the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, detailed the command’s major operational breakthroughs across the state.
​The security crackdown followed an early-morning assault on October 17 on the Uratta Police Division, during which armed hoodlums killed two senior police officers and left three inspectors injured.
In response, CP Afolabi led tactical teams on a high-stakes counter-operation that led to the arrest of a principal suspect, identified as Osita. Search operations conducted after his arrest yielded two locally made firearms, 16 live cartridges, four expended cartridges, and a stolen Toyota Corolla bearing registration number ROU 9338J.
Continued investigations subsequently led to the apprehension of an alleged accomplice and illegal ammunition supplier, 30-year-old Chisholm Okechukwu. Both suspects have since been formally charged to court.
​Expanding on the scope of the state-wide sweep, CP Afolabi revealed that police tactical units successfully dismantled a child trafficking syndicate, rescuing 10 stolen children across multiple targeted raids and reuniting them with their families.
​In a separate operation conducted on October 31, 2026, police officers apprehended 27-year-old Vincent Chidera and 25-year-old Onwachukwu Ernest for allegedly terrorizing students residing around Abia State University, Uturu.
Operatives recovered a locally fabricated firearm during the arrest, with one of the suspects confessing to active membership in the proscribed Black Axe Confraternity.
​Summarizing the command’s recent operational record, CP Afolabi stated that the police had registered 211 cases during the period under review, resulting in the arrest of 109 suspects, comprising 89 males and 20 females, and the recovery of 15 firearms and 30 stolen vehicles.
​Reaffirming the command’s determination to eradicate crime across Abia State, CP Afolabi called on members of the public to assist law enforcement by sharing actionable intelligence through their local police divisions or via the command’s official emergency hotlines.
