The Rivers State Police Command says it has dismantled a suspected kidnapping syndicate operating in Oyigbo Local Government Area, leading to the arrest of five suspected members.
The suspects were apprehended during a coordinated operation carried out by police operatives in the area, according to a statement issued on Thursday in Port Harcourt by the command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko Agabe.
She said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to participating in several kidnapping operations across parts of the state.
“The Rivers State Police Command has recorded another significant operational success with the arrest of five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate during a coordinated operation in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state,” the statement read.
According to the police, the operation followed directives from the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, to intensify intelligence-led operations against violent crimes.
The suspects were identified as Ezekiel Emmanuel, 44, from Benue State; Chukwuma Mbanefor, 51, from Anambra State; Nicholas Diala, 65, from Imo State; Ndubuisi Uwakwe, 49, from Abia State; and Ifeanyi Nwakwo, 51, from Imo State.
Police said the suspects admitted involvement in kidnappings carried out in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.
“In the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping and further admitted to participating in several kidnapping operations within the Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities,” the statement added.
The command said efforts were ongoing to track down and arrest other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
Commenting on the operation, Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju said the arrests reflected the effectiveness of the operational directives and intelligence-driven policing strategy introduced by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
“The command remains unwavering in sustaining aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across Rivers State. There will be no hiding place for kidnappers and other criminal elements,” Adepoju said.
He assured residents that the command would continue to protect lives and property and urged members of the public to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could aid crime prevention and the arrest of offenders.
