The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three suspects in two separate operations involving alleged mobile phone theft and the circulation of inflammatory video content linked to a communal dispute.

The arrests followed investigations into reported thefts at hotels in Awka, Isuaniocha and Mgbakwu, as well as an incident involving the alleged circulation of misleading information connected to tensions between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam communities.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed the arrests in separate statements, according to Independent Newspaper Nigeria.

In the first operation, police operatives attached to the Amanuke Police Division arrested 32-year-old Ifeanyi Jeremiah Obi in the early hours of October 25, 2026.

The arrest followed investigations into multiple reports of mobile phone theft at hotels in Awka, Isuaniocha and Mgbakwu, alongside a review of surveillance footage allegedly linking the suspect to the incidents.

Police said Obi reportedly confessed during interrogation to stealing five Android phones from hotels in the affected communities.

The command said investigations were ongoing to recover the missing devices, establish the full extent of the alleged offences and identify any other persons who might have been involved.

In a separate operation, police arrested 17-year-old Chimezie Peter and Sunday Offordile over the alleged creation and circulation of a misleading video and inflammatory claims connected to the communal misunderstanding between Aguleri and Umuoba Anam.

The police said the content also risked drawing the neighbouring Umueri community into the dispute.

According to preliminary findings, the suspects were allegedly intercepted while recording a video showing some Umueri residents returning from their farms.

The footage was reportedly accompanied by claims portraying the individuals as armed people from Aguleri allegedly waiting to attack and kill anyone from Umuoba Anam who passed along the route.

Police said the authenticity, origin and intended purpose of the video and its accompanying claims were under investigation.

The command warned that deliberately circulating misleading information could provoke reprisals, heighten communal tensions and undermine ongoing peace efforts.

The two suspects were reportedly arrested in the early hours of October 26 following community intervention and subsequently handed over to the police.

They were being transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Awka for further investigation and possible legal action.

The Commissioner of Police in Anambra State, CP Nnanna Oji Ama, urged residents to verify information before sharing it and avoid publishing unverified claims that could incite hostility or trigger violence.

The police appealed to residents of Aguleri, Umuoba Anam and Umueri to remain calm, exercise restraint and support peacebuilding efforts.

The command also urged hotel operators, business owners and members of the public to strengthen security measures and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

Police said investigations into both cases would continue and that anyone found culpable would be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The allegations against the suspects have not been established by a court.