The Anambra State Police Command has announced the recovery of an abandoned locally fabricated AK-47 rifle and an empty magazine from an apartment in Umuike Village, Awka, in the Awka South Local Government Area.
The discovery was made on Thursday, 14 August 2025, by officers of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, acting on credible intelligence. According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the recovery was part of an ongoing investigation into a violent crime that has shaken the community in recent weeks.
Police investigations are tied to a chilling case involving conspiracy, murder, and unlawful possession of firearms. The case stems from the gruesome killing of two male victims at Okochi Village, Okpuno, within the same local government area. Early findings linked the killings to a man identified as Nwajagu, whose other names remain unknown.
Following intensive intelligence gathering, operatives traced the suspect to an apartment in Umuike Village. However, the operation took an unexpected turn when the suspect, on sighting the police officers, fled through the back door, leaving behind the weapon and the empty magazine. The swift escape allowed him to evade capture, and he has remained on the run since the murders.
DSP Ikenga explained that the rifle, although locally fabricated, was designed to resemble a standard AK-47. He added that the weapon had no ammunition at the time it was recovered. The firearm has since been taken into police custody and preserved as an exhibit to aid prosecution once the suspect is apprehended.
In his statement, Ikenga assured the public that the command will not relent in its efforts to track down the fleeing suspect. “The principal suspect, identified as Nwajagu, has been on the run since the incident. We traced him to an apartment in Awka, but he fled through the back door upon seeing our men. Efforts are being intensified to arrest and bring him to justice,” he said.
The police further urged members of the public, especially residents of Awka and its environs, to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements or information that could assist in locating the fugitive.
Authorities stressed that the arrest of the suspect is critical not only to resolving the case but also to preventing further criminal activities in the area.
The recovered rifle is now part of the growing body of evidence in the ongoing investigation, which police say is far from over.