The Rivers State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers linked to a series of abductions across the state, recovering firearms and preventing another planned operation. The suspects reportedly carried out three high-profile kidnappings, each demanding a ransom of ₦3 million, totaling ₦9 million.
Chief Superintendent Grace Iringe-Koko, Public Relations Officer of the command, stated that the arrests followed intelligence gathered from the kidnapping of Miss Chika Favour in Igwuruta Community, Ikwerre Local Government Area. Chika was abducted on February 25 while heading to her farm and released on March 2 after her family paid the ransom.
“Acting on credible intelligence, police operatives attached to the Anti Cultism Unit, Emohua Annex, tracked and arrested four suspects early Monday at about 5:20 a.m. along Ipo/Ozaha Farm Road, where they were planning another kidnapping operation,” Iringe-Koko said.
The arrested suspects are Usman Dan Mama, 20, from Mubi Adamawa State; Abdullahi Kabir, 27, from Damaturu Yobe State; Idris Ismaila, 20, from Taraba State; and Mohammed Dalandi, 22, from Yobe State. Recovered from them were one locally made pistol, one single barrel cut to size gun, and 20 live cartridges.
During questioning, the suspects confessed to multiple kidnappings across Igwuruta Ali, Omagwa, Ozaha, Ipo, and Etche, including the abductions of Engr. Okoro Osita and a friend on February 12, and Miss Sympathy Agu and Miss Chioma Njoku on January 31, all released after ₦3 million ransoms.
Iringe-Koko confirmed that police are pursuing other members of the syndicate still at large, reiterating Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Rivers residents.
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