Police in Anambra Arrest Native Doctor & A Female Accomplice For Kidnapping, Recover N17.5m

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate linked to a major abduction that occurred in Nnewi in July 2024. The suspects, identified as 52-year-old Celestine Onuyia and 45-year-old Jacinta Okolo Udenka, were apprehended on April 13, 2025, by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit during a targeted operation in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.

During a search of their residence, law enforcement officers recovered a significant cache of firearms, including one pump-action rifle, seven single-barrel dane guns, and twenty-eight live cartridges. Further intelligence gathered during the suspects' interrogation led to another operation in Omasi, Ayamelum LGA, where two AK-47 rifles and two empty magazines were discovered hidden in a remote hideout.

According to police investigations, Celestine Onuyia, alleged to be a native doctor, reportedly provided spiritual fortification for the criminal group and concealed their weapons. His co-suspect, Jacinta Udenka, is accused of gathering sensitive information about potential targets and feeding it to the syndicate to facilitate kidnappings.

The duo is believed to have played critical roles in the abduction of a victim in Nnewi in July 2024, who was only released after a ransom of ₦17.5 million was paid to the kidnappers. Their arrest is considered a breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on kidnapping networks in Anambra State.

Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, praised the efforts of the operatives involved in the arrests and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to dismantling criminal gangs and maintaining security across the state. Both suspects remain in custody as the investigation continues.