The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate during an intelligence-led operation in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The Command in a statement signed by ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, Police Public Relations Officer, on behalf of the CP said the operation was carried out by operatives attached to the Oyigbo Police Division following directives from the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju.
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.
According to the police, the suspects confessed during interrogation to participating in several kidnapping operations in Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities in Rivers State.
The Command said investigations have been expanded to uncover the full extent of the gang’s activities, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the syndicate who remain at large.
Speaking on the development, Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju described the arrests as “a testament to the Command’s unwavering commitment to intelligence-driven policing and the effective implementation of the crime-fighting strategies of the Inspector-General of Police.”
He reiterated the Command’s resolve to sustain its crackdown on violent crimes across the state.
“Criminal elements will find no refuge in Rivers State, as the Command will continue to intensify intelligence-led operations to identify, apprehend, and prosecute offenders,” the police commissioner said.
Adepoju also assured residents of the Command’s commitment to protecting lives and property, urging members of the public to support security agencies by providing timely and credible information that could help prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
The Command reaffirmed its commitment to tackling kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the state.