The Rivers State Police Command has arrested three suspected kidnappers accused of abducting several victims in Port Harcourt and its environs, collecting ₦10.4 million in ransom, and killing two of their captives.
Police spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Monday in Port Harcourt.
She said operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit acted on a distress call and carried out a coordinated raid in Obio/Akpor and Ikwerre Local Government Areas of the state.
“On August 26, 2025, the command received a report of the abduction of one Humphrey Wagbara from Igwuruta-Atali.
Acting on credible intelligence, our officers swung into action and on September 19, 2025, arrested three suspects at different hideouts,” Iringe-Koko explained.
The suspects were identified as Hassan Mohammed, 20, from Adamawa State; Bello Abubakar, 25, from Sokoto State; and Yusuf Ahmed, 23, from Bauchi State.
According to the police, the men confessed during interrogation to being behind a series of kidnappings.
“They kidnapped one Onwuli Jude and Nwabueze Nchekwube on September 24, 2025, at School Road, Igwuruta-Atali. They collected ₦6.9 million as ransom before killing Nchekwube,” Iringe-Koko said.
She added that the suspects also admitted to abducting one Mercy Chinyere on September 12, 2025, from the same area, collecting ₦3.5 million before releasing her.
Items recovered from the gang included a G-3 rifle with a magazine, a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims, three short daggers, a jackknife, and a stainless short knife.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, praised the operatives for their bravery.
“This breakthrough shows our determination to make Rivers State unsafe for criminals. I urge residents to promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station,” Adepoju said.
The police noted that efforts are ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the gang and recover additional weapons.
