The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended four individuals suspected of orchestrating multiple kidnappings for ransom in the Ikwerre and Etche local government areas, along with surrounding communities in the state.
Operatives from the Anti-Cultism Unit intercepted and arrested the suspects while they were reportedly preparing to carry out another abduction operation along a rural road.
This breakthrough occurred on Monday, along the Ipo/Ozaha Farm Road, as part of intensified crackdowns on kidnapping syndicates plaguing the region.
The command revealed that the arrests followed credible intelligence and proactive patrols aimed at dismantling criminal networks responsible for terrorising residents through abductions and demands for payment.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday and sent to newsmen.
Iringe-Koko said the suspects, including two 20-year-olds, also claimed responsibility for two previous kidnapping incidents, including the abduction of an engineer and his friend along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, and collected millions of Naira as ransom before allowing the two men to breathe the air of freedom.
The statement reads, “The Rivers State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes across the State. This development follows the earlier kidnapping of one Miss Favour Chika of Igwuruta Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.”
Among the exhibits recovered during the operation were arms and ammunition linked to the suspects’ activities, further strengthening the case against them.
Authorities have assured the public of continued security operations to restore peace and safety in Ikwerre, Etche, and other vulnerable parts of Rivers State amid rising concerns over ransom-driven crimes.
