Two men have been arrested by Anambra State Police Command for alleged kidnap and murder of a female bank manager after collecting a ransom of N14 million in Onitsha.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Tochukwu Ikenga, the suspects, Monday Egbe, 32, and Kenneth Nnoga, 28, were arrested on May 28, 2025, after diligent investigations led operatives to their hideout in a neighbouring state.

The victim’s lifeless body was found on January 13, 2025, along Nnobi Road with her eyes tied, after the abductors had collected the ransom from her family.

The suspects are currently undergoing interrogation to unravel the modus operandi of the criminal gang and possible arrest of other members.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, has assured that the command will continue to protect lives and properties, follow up on cases, and ensure justice is served.

The police command’s swift action has brought hope to the family of the victim and the community, demonstrating their commitment to tackling crime and ensuring public safety.

The female banker, identified simply as Ifeoma, was murdered by kidnappers in Anambra in January this year after her family paid a ransom for her release.

The victim was reportedly abducted in Onitsha and stayed several days in captivity before her captors reached out to the family members for ransom.

Several women were Saturday night abducted by bandits suspected to be herdsmen after the bus belonging to Benue Link transport company they were traveling in, was stopped and hijacked by the hoodlums along the Owukpa–Orokam road in Ogbadibo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.

The incident occurred around 7 p.m. near the Eyiupi community as the victims were traveling from Orba market in Enugu to Owukpa.

The attackers, suspected to be armed herdsmen, reportedly ambushed the vehicle and took away the female passengers, both young and adult.

One of the victims, who sustained severe gunshot wounds during the attack, was left behind due to excessive bleeding that could have compromised the abductors’ location.

She is currently receiving treatment at the intensive care unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in Okpoga.

Leader of the Owukpa vigilante group, Amos Agada, who confirmed the incident, said as of Sunday morning, the kidnappers had not contacted any of the victims’ families.

He added that local security operatives were already making efforts to rescue the abducted women.

Also, a community leader, Hon Adikwu Daniel, who raised the alarm in a statement, urged the Chairman of Ogbadibo Local Government Council and security agencies to act swiftly to rescue the victims and install a sustainable security presence along the dangerous route.

“The area has long been a danger zone, and no serious security network is in place to stop or reduce these attacks,” he warned.

Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, has said at least 150 million Nigerians have been affected by insecurity while agriculture and food availability have also been adversely affected by the scrounge.

Ribadu spoke in Abuja Friday at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“Security is the biggest problem we are facing in all sectors, but the biggest victim of insecurity is agriculture because when it came in, it interfered with our lives.

“Nigerians are farmers. Either you’re a farmer or from a family of farmers, so all of us, one way or the other, it has affected us. Insecurity has turned our lives upside down.

“When we come together, we are better off. We must come together to give our people their lives back.

“Our people are in dire need of this. I don’t think there is any country in the world today which is facing the challenges we are facing. Because we are big, we are huge in number. Populations that are affected by the insecurity in Nigeria may be in excess of 120 to 150 million,” Ribadu said

He called for a whole-of-society approach to tackle the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, lack of opportunity, and social exclusion.

He warned that the current security challenges pose a threat to national stability, citing the collapse of neighbouring countries in the Sahel region due to insurgencies.

“We are the only ones still standing strong in the Sahel, and that is thanks to the efforts of our security forces,” he said.

He said military operations alone would not resolve the crisis and stressed the importance of non-kinetic solutions that focus on Peace building and development.