Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have rescued a 13-year-old girl abducted on June 5, 2025, while running an errand for her mother in Umuebule community, in Etche Local Council of the state.

Confirming the development in a statement yesterday, the spokesperson for the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the police received credible intelligence about the kidnapping and promptly swung into action.

According to her, the operatives arrested a 24-year-old female suspected of being the subscriber of the SIM cards linked to the ransom demands.

“Further investigation led to the arrest of the principal suspect, Chizoba Andrew Obi, a 36-year-old male, and the rescue of the kidnapped victim, who was found unhurt in a fenced forest at Umuechem Community, Etche Local Council.

“During the operation, the police recovered one locally made pistol and one live cartridge,” she said.

Iringe-Koko disclosed that a shootout ensued between the police and the kidnappers, resulting in the neutralisation of a suspect, who sustained bullet wounds and was later pronounced dead at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH).

She noted that the victim has been reunited with her family, and investigations are ongoing to apprehend other members of the syndicate and recover their operational weapons.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their bravery and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.

He urged the public to be vigilant and promptly report any suspicious individuals with gunshot wounds to the nearest Police Station or other security agencies. (The Guardian)