By Vicky Attah, Correspondent
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers, rescued a 35-year-old abducted woman and recovered the vehicle allegedly used in the operation, in what authorities described as another major breakthrough against violent crime in the state.
According to a statement issued on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer, Rivers State Command, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the suspects were arrested following an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), acting on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju.
She said the operation stemmed from a report made by Mr. Ikechukwu, who informed officers that his wife, Mrs. Ikechukwu had been abducted by armed men on Saturday, July 11 while attending to customers at her shop noting that the assailants reportedly forced her into a white tinted mini-bus before fleeing the scene.
She noted that the VCRU immediately launched an intensive intelligence-driven investigation, which led to the arrest of four suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate and the safe rescue of the victim.
She further stated that those arrested were identified as Owhor Chinedu, from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area (ONELGA), Isioto Waribok from Andoni Local Government Area, Maduabuchi Emeka from ONELGA, and Joe Karachi also from ONELGA.
According to her, the police also recovered a white mini-bus believed to have been used by the suspects during the abduction.
She noted that preliminary investigations indicate that the four suspects have confessed to their individual roles in the crime.
The command added that efforts had been intensified to apprehend two other members of the syndicate who remain at large and to recover the firearms allegedly used during the operation.
The Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He urged residents to continue supporting the police with timely, credible and actionable information, assuring them that all useful intelligence would be handled with strict confidentiality.
“The Rivers State Police Command remains resolute in its determination to rid the state of kidnappers and other violent criminals,” the commissioner said, adding that the command would continue to deploy every lawful strategy to identify, apprehend and prosecute criminal suspects.
Kidnapping has remained one of the major security challenges confronting several parts of Nigeria, with security agencies intensifying intelligence gathering and targeted operations to dismantle criminal networks responsible for abductions for ransom. Police authorities have repeatedly appealed to members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies by reporting suspicious activities promptly to aid crime prevention and swift response.
The Rivers State Police Command said investigations into the case are continuing, while efforts remain focused on arresting the remaining suspects and recovering the weapons allegedly used during the kidnapping operation.
