The CP Olugbenga Adepoju-led Rivers State Police command has recovered ₦2.3m ransom and arrested two suspects involved in the kidnapping of a female and three others.
According to the police, the victims were abducted on January 19th, 2026, at Elele Waterside, Etche Local Government Area of the state.
The police public relations officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, described the feat as a significant breakthrough in sustained efforts of the police to combat kidnapping and other criminal activities in Rivers.
Acting on credible 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.
The statement identified the suspects as Abdullahi Ibrahim, aged 23, ‘m’ of Avara LGA, Nasarawa State, and Mohammed Hashim, aged 27, ‘m’ of Tafawa Balewa LGA, Bauchi State.
“Upon conducting a search of the suspects, they were found in possession of the sum of ₦2,383,000.00 as part of the ransom paid by the victims’ families”, the statement said.
During preliminary interrogation, the suspects were said to have 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 were said to have led to the tragic killing of a youth member of the community, who attempted to pay a ransom of ₦3,800,000 to the kidnappers on January 13, 2026.
The statement added, “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 were listed as one pump-action gun and the ransom money.
The statement said, “The Rivers State Police Command is intensifying efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects who are currently at large with their operational weapons.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, has commended the bravery and dedication of the Operatives involved in this daring operation and urged citizens to continue supporting the Police in the fight against crime.
“He further reiterated his unwavering commitment to ensuring that Rivers State remains a hostile environment for criminal elements, emphasizing that the police will leave no stone unturned in going after perpetrators of crime, and they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The command is appealing to the public to report to the Police, anyone receiving treatment for gunshot injuries in a suspicious manner”.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
