NSCDC arrests five fake security guards, seizes rifle in Anambra

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Anambra State Command, has arrested five suspected illegal private security operatives and recovered a pump-action rifle during a coordinated operation in Awka, the state capital.

The State Commandant, Maku Olatunde, disclosed this on Wednesday while parading the suspects at the command headquarters in Awka.

He said the operation, which took place across several hotels and grocery stores in the capital around 11am on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, followed credible intelligence about suspicious individuals posing as security personnel.

Olatunde said preliminary findings indicated that the suspects were allegedly hired by political actors to cause unrest ahead of the November 8 governorship election in the state.

“In a bid to rid Anambra State of individuals masquerading as private security operatives, the NSCDC, Anambra Command, has apprehended five suspected illegal private security operatives and recovered a pump-action rifle,” he said.

“The raids were based on credible intelligence indicating the presence of individuals dressed in attire resembling that of a security outfit, who may have been hired by political actors with the intention of utilising them to cause chaos during the election.”

The suspects were identified as Mmeka Ekene (43), Peter Detuchi Kelvin (28), Sunday Akpan Idiong (45), Enemuo Ifeanyichukwu (26), and Francis Ugochukwu Nwosu (28).

According to the Commandant, the operation was carried out by the Private Guard Companies Department as part of efforts to flush out criminal gangs and irredentist elements, prevent illegal possession of firearms, and forestall election-related violence.

“We are resolute in our commitment to providing a secure environment for the conduct of the forthcoming governorship election slated for November 8, 2025. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that Anambra State remains peaceful and secure,” Olatunde stated.

He added that the Command would not tolerate individuals masquerading as private security operatives or attempting to disrupt the electoral process.

“The Command, in collaboration with other security agencies, will take all necessary measures within its operational guidelines to counter and suppress any act that could potentially destabilise the peace enjoyed in the state,” he warned.

Olatunde revealed that the NSCDC had enhanced surveillance and intelligence-gathering across the state to prevent any attempt by “disruptive elements or desperate politicians” to compromise the election.

He said, “The arrested suspects are currently being interrogated and will be charged in court upon conclusion of the investigation.”

This development recalls a 2020 report by The PUNCH, which detailed how the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit arrested two men, Monday Job and Rasak Oloyede, for impersonating police and army officers.

Job was caught using his motorcycle to operate on restricted routes, while Oloyede used his commercial bus to defraud unsuspecting commuters along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.