Aguleri-Umuoba dispute: Anambra police arrest two suspects over alleged faux information and incitement

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the alleged creation and circulation of deceptive video content material and inflammatory claims able to escalating the communal misunderstanding involving Aguleri and Umuoba Anam communities and unnecessarily drawing the peaceable Umueri group into the dispute.

The spokesperson for the command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in an announcement on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.

The suspects, recognized as Chimezie Peter, 17, and Sunday Offordile, have been arrested within the early hours of Monday, October 26, following group intervention and have been subsequently handed over to the Police.

According to the PPRO, preliminary data signifies that the suspects have been allegedly intercepted whereas recording a video that includes some indigenes of Umueri returning lawfully from their farms.

“The video was reportedly accompanied by claims portraying the individuals as armed persons from Aguleri allegedly lying in wait to attack and unalive anyone from Umuoba Anam passing through the route,” the assertion learn.

“The circumstances surrounding the recording and circulation of the video, including the authenticity, origin and intended purpose of the accompanying claims, are being investigated.

“The Command is especially involved that deceptive data of this nature, if intentionally circulated, may provoke reprisals, heighten communal tensions and undermine ongoing peacebuilding efforts.

“During preliminary interrogation, the suspects reportedly made statements relevant to the allegations.

“However, the Command emphasises that the investigation stays ongoing and that the total circumstances of the incident should be established earlier than any definitive conclusion is reached.

“The suspects are being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for further investigation and necessary legal action.

“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, psc, mnips, reiterates the Command’s dedication to defending lives and property, preserving public order and stopping the escalation of communal disputes by way of well timed, intelligence-led policing and efficient collaboration with group stakeholders.

“The Commissioner strongly cautions members of the public against recording, publishing or circulating unverified content and provocative narratives that could misrepresent events, incite hostility or trigger violence between neighbouring communities.

“Residents are urged to confirm data earlier than sharing it and to report credible safety considerations by way of acceptable channels fairly than resorting to hypothesis or inflammatory publications.

“The Command additional appeals to the folks of Aguleri, Umuoba Anam and Umueri to stay calm, train restraint and assist ongoing peace initiatives. No particular person or group ought to take the regulation into their very own arms or have interaction in retaliatory actions based mostly on unverified data.

“The Anambra State Police Command will continue to engage traditional rulers, community leaders, vigilante groups and other relevant stakeholders to sustain peace, promote mutual understanding and ensure that anyone found culpable of criminal conduct is dealt with in accordance with the law.”