Rivers State Police Command said it has smashed a kidnapping gang, by killing two suspects and arresting two others in Etche Local Government Area of the state.

The command also recovered the sum of ₦2,383,000.00 being ransom paid and a gun from the apprehended suspects, Abdullahi Ibrahim, aged 23, ‘m’ of Avara LGA, Nasarawa State and Mohammed Hashim, aged 27, ‘m’ of Tafawa Balewa LGA, Bauchi State.

State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Grace Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), confirmed the development.

She said this is in aligning with the Commissioner of Police’s zero-tolerance towards crime, and his commitment to creating a secure and safe environment for all residents to live and thrive.

The PPRO described it as a significant breakthrough in the command’s sustained efforts to combat kidnapping and other criminal activities within the state.

According to the command’s spokesperson, the gang members Were involved in the kidnapping of a female victim and three others, on January 19, 2026, at Elele Waterside, Etche LGA of Rivers.

Iringe-Koko disclosed that operatives of the Police Command attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit, (ACU) Emohua Annex, acting on a credible piece of intelligence, intercepted and arrested the suspects along Ozuzu/Apara Link Road, Etche LGA, on January 22, at about 2049hrs.

She added that 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 PPRO stated: “During preliminary interrogation, suspects confessed to the crime and further highlighted their involvement in 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 led to the tragic killing of a youth member of the community who attempted to pay ransom of N3,800,000.00 to the kidnappers on January 13, 2026.

“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.”

She disclosed that the Police command has intensified efforts to apprehend the remaining suspects who are currently at large with their operational weapons.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, has commended the bravery and dedication of the operatives involved in the 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 ensuring they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

The command appeals to the members of the public to report to the Police, anyone receiving treatment for gun shot injuries in a suspicious manner. (The Sun)

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