Anambra Police Arrest Two Over Fake Video Threatening Aguleri–Umuoba Anam Peace
By Titus Eleweke
The Anambra State Police Command has arrested two suspects over an allegedly misleading video portraying peaceful farmers returning from their farms as armed men preparing to attack residents, raising concerns about the possible escalation of the lingering communal dispute involving Aguleri and Umuoba Anam.
The video, which reportedly featured indigenes of the neighbouring Umueri community, allegedly portrayed them as armed persons from Aguleri lying in wait to attack and kill anyone from Umuoba Anam passing through the route.
In a statement issued by the
Police Public Relations Officer
Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the circulation of such inflammatory claims could heighten tensions, provoke reprisals and unnecessarily drag the peaceful Umueri community into the dispute, potentially undermining ongoing efforts to restore lasting peace among the neighbouring communities.
The suspects, identified as Chimezie Peter, 17, and Sunday Offordile, were arrested in the early hours of October 26, 2026, following community intervention, before being handed over to the police.
According to the statement, preliminary information indicated that the suspects were allegedly intercepted while recording the video featuring the Umueri indigenes returning lawfully from their farms.
It said the circumstances surrounding the recording and circulation of the video, including its authenticity, origin and the motive behind the accompanying claims, were being investigated.
The Command expressed concern that deliberately spreading misleading information during a sensitive communal dispute could inflame hostilities, trigger retaliatory attacks and jeopardise peacebuilding initiatives among the affected communities.
It added that the suspects had reportedly made statements relevant to the allegations during preliminary interrogation but stressed that investigations were ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
The suspects are being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Awka, for further investigation and necessary legal action.
The statement added that the Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Nnanna Oji Ama has reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, maintaining public order and preventing the escalation of communal disputes through timely, intelligence-led policing and collaboration with community stakeholders.
He cautioned members of the public against recording, publishing or circulating unverified videos and provocative narratives capable of misrepresenting events, inciting hostility or triggering violence between neighbouring communities.
The Commissioner urged residents to verify information before sharing it and to report credible security concerns through appropriate channels rather than resorting to speculation and inflammatory publications.
He also appealed to the people of Aguleri, Umuoba Anam and Umueri to remain calm, exercise restraint and support ongoing peace initiatives, warning that no individual or group should take the law into their own hands or engage in retaliatory actions based on unverified information.
The Command assured residents that it would 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 was dealt with in accordance with the law.
