Edith CHUKU
The Rivers State Police command has made a significant breakthrough in its sustained efforts to combat kidnapping and other criminal activities within the state.
This follows the arrest of two suspects involved in the kidnapping of a female victim and three others, an incident that occurred on January 19, 2026, at Elele Waterside, Etche Local Government Area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Grace Irinke-Koko, revealed in a statement on Wednesday, that the suspects were 23 years old Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, from Avara LGA, Nasarawa State and 27 years old Mr Mohammed Hashim, from Tafawa Balewa LGA, Bauchi State.
The Police explained that “acting on a credible piece of intelligence, operatives of the command attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit, (ACU) Emohua Annex, intercepted and arrested the suspects along Ozuzu/Apara Link Road, Etche LGA, on January 22, 2026, at about 2049hrs.
“Upon conducting a search of the suspects, they were found in possession of the sum of Two Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Naira (₦2,383,000.00,) as part of the ransom paid by the victims’ families.
“During preliminary interrogation, suspects confessed to the crime and further highlighted their involvement in a series of kidnappings, including the abduction of two other female victims from Akpoku Community, Etche LGA, on January 8, 2026.
“The gang’s criminal activities led to the tragic killing of a youth member of the community who attempted to pay ransom of Three Million, Eight Hundred Thousand Naira (#3,800,000.) to the kidnappers on January 13, 2026.
“In spanning the scope of investigation, the arrested suspects led Police operatives to their criminal hideouts, but the operatives were met with a strong resistance from other members of the gang and a fierce gun battle ensued between the operatives and the kidnappers, during which the suspects were fatally wounded, others escaped into the nearby bushes with varying degrees of bullet wounds.”
Exhibits recovered from the suspects one Pump Action Gun and the sum of Two Million, Three Hundred and Eighty Three Thousand Naira (#2,383,000.00).
The police assured residents of an intensified effort to apprehend the remaining suspects who are currently at large with their operational weapons.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga A. Adepoju, has commended what he described as the bravery and dedication of the operatives involved in the daring operation and urged citizens to continue supporting the Police in the fight against crime.
He further reiterated his unwavering commitment to ensuring the state remained a hostile environment for criminal elements, emphasizing that the Police would leave no stone unturned in going after perpetrators of crime.
The CP assured that they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, even as he appealed to the public to report to the Police, anyone receiving treatment for gun shot injuries in a suspicious manner.
