Anambra Police Arrest Two Over Alleged Fake News, Incitement in Aguleri–Umuoba Anam Dispute
By Chibuzo Obidike | IchieTimes
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects over the alleged recording and circulation of misleading video content capable of escalating tensions in the communal dispute involving Aguleri and Umuoba Anam, while drawing the peaceful Umueri community into the controversy.
The suspects, identified as Chimezie Peter, 17, and Sunday Offordile, were arrested in the early hours of October 26, 2026, following community intervention and subsequently handed over to the police.
According to the police, preliminary information indicates that the suspects were allegedly intercepted while recording a video showing some Umueri indigenes returning from their farms.
The video was reportedly accompanied by claims portraying the individuals as armed men from Aguleri allegedly waiting to attack and kill anyone from Umuoba Anam passing through the route.
The police said the authenticity, origin and purpose of the video and its accompanying claims were being investigated, warning that misleading information could provoke reprisals, heighten communal tensions and undermine ongoing peace efforts.
The command added that the suspects had made statements relevant to the allegations during preliminary interrogation. However, it stressed that the investigation remained ongoing and that no definitive conclusions should be drawn until the circumstances were fully established.
The suspects are being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for further investigation and necessary legal action.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, maintaining public order and preventing the escalation of communal disputes through intelligence led policing and collaboration with community stakeholders.
He cautioned residents against recording, publishing or circulating unverified information and provocative narratives capable of misrepresenting events, inciting hostility or triggering violence between neighbouring communities.
The commissioner urged the public to verify information before sharing it and to report credible security concerns through appropriate channels rather than resorting to speculation or inflammatory publications.
He also appealed to residents of Aguleri, Umuoba Anam and Umueri to remain calm, exercise restraint and support ongoing peace initiatives, warning against retaliatory actions or taking the law into their own hands based on unverified claims.
The police said they would continue engaging traditional rulers, community leaders, vigilante groups and other stakeholders to sustain peace and ensure that anyone found culpable of criminal conduct faces the law.
The statement was signed by SP Tochukwu Ikenga, Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, Awka, and dated October 27, 2026.
