The Abia State Police Command on Monday said its operatives killed five suspected members of a notorious kidnapping gang and recovered six AK-47 rifles in a raid on their hideout.

The operation, carried out on June 30 by joint tactical teams acting on credible intelligence, targeted a kidnappers’ den in Umuiku Obete Village, Ukwa West Local Government Area.

The suspects were linked to a series of abductions along Umuozo Village, Uratta Road, off Port Harcourt Road.

According to the police, the gang opened fire on sighting the officers, prompting a shootout. “Unable to withstand the superior firepower of the police, five members of the gang were neutralised,” police spokeswoman DSP Maureen C. Chinaka said in a statement.

Recovered from the scene were six AK-47 rifles, 335 rounds of live ammunition, 14 magazines, five mobile phones, three cutlasses, five operational jackets, an axe, a boot, and a set of charms. An investigation is underway to locate and apprehend fleeing members of the gang.

In a separate operation on August 2, officers from Arochukwu Divisional Headquarters recovered a double-barreled long gun at Amuvi Village. Police said they are probing the circumstances surrounding its recovery.

Commissioner of Police Danladi Isa reaffirmed the command’s determination to combat violent crime across the state.

Chinaka urged residents to support security by reporting suspicious persons or activities, including anyone with gunshot wounds.

“We appeal to the public members to remain vigilant and promptly provide useful information through the command’s emergency lines. See something, say something,” she said.

The police said the raid is one of the most significant arms recoveries in the state this year, while also promising to intensify efforts in dismantling armed gangs and curbing kidnapping in Nigeria’s southeast. (Daily Sun, excluding headline s)