Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested Olisa Oyelu, popularly known as “Obele,” an alleged member of a kidnapping and armed robbery gang who had reportedly been in hiding for five years.
The suspect was arrested by operatives attached to the State Criminal Investigation Department in the early hours of September 23, 2026, following what police described as sustained intelligence gathering and investigation.
In a statement, the command’s spokesperson, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, described Oyelu as the last identified member of an alleged armed robbery and kidnapping gang led by a suspect known as “Pincode.”
“In the early hours of 23rd September 2026, Olisa Oyelu alias Obele ‘M’, aged 25 years, was arrested. He is the last identified member of the notorious armed robbery and kidnapping gang led by a suspected criminal known as ‘Pincode,’ in connection with a 2023 kidnapping incident which resulted in the death of the victim,” Ikenga said.
Police said Oyelu had evaded arrest for about five years while other alleged members of the gang were apprehended.
According to the command, Oyelu was nicknamed “Obele,” meaning “small boy” in Igbo, because of his relatively young age and small stature at the time he allegedly became involved with the gang.
Ikenga said the command had continued tracking the suspect until his eventual arrest.
“The Command at the conclusion of the investigative proceedings shall hand over Olisa Oyelu to the Correctional Centre where Pincode and four others are already being remanded awaiting the judgement of the court,” he said.
Police described the arrest as a significant development in the investigation and reiterated the command’s commitment to ensuring that everyone found to have participated in the alleged crimes is brought to justice.
David-Chyddy Eleke
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