The police in Rivers State have arrested four confessed kidnappers linked to a series of abductions, recovering firearms and thwarting another planned operation.
The suspects reportedly carried out three high-profile kidnappings, each yielding a ransom of N3 million, bringing their total takings to N9 million.
Spokesperson of the Rivers State Police Command, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the arrest followed intelligence 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 N3 million 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
Mohammed Dalandi, 22, from Yobe State
CSP Iringe-Koko said recovered from the suspects were one locally made pistol, one single-barrel cut-to-size gun, and 20 live cartridges.
She added that during questioning, the suspects confessed to multiple kidnappings across Igwuruta-Ali, Omagwa, Ozaha, Ipo, and Etche. They admitted involvement in 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 N3 million ransoms were paid.
Iringe-Koko confirmed that police are pursuing other members of the syndicate still at large, reiterating the commitment of Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, to ensuring the safety and security of Rivers residents.