By STANLEY NWANOSIKE

The Enugu State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper and rescued 13 persons held hostage in a successful raid.

The Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Enugu.

Ndukwe said the command also recovered one locally made pistol with two live cartridges, one metal toy pistol, two motorcycles and one Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number MSA 657 XA.

He said that the operation was conducted at about 6 a.m. following an intelligence report, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmad Abdurrahman, detailed a team of operatives of the Puff Adder.

According to him, the police team traced the gang of suspected kidnappers that was conveying 13 kidnap victims in a Toyota Hiace bus.

“On sighting the operatives along Enugu-Makurdi Highway, the kidnappers diverted and disappeared into Akomagbo Ubagaike Community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of the state.

“At about 1 p.m. the operatives further traced them to their hideout in a house belonging to one Chidi Ogbonna, popularly “Egbe” in the said Akomagbo Ubagaike Community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, where they were holding the victims hostage.

“On sighting the operatives, the kidnappers took to their heels, while the team succeeded to arrest a female member of the gang, named Gloria Mnwanezi.

“The team rescued the 13 victims,” he said.

The police spokesman said that the commissioner further ordered intensified manhunt of the fleeing members of the kidnap gang.

He advised people to be law-abiding citizens and report any suspicious movements to authorities and cautioned them against harbouring criminals within their domains.

“The command will not hesitate to arrest and prosecute anyone found encouraging or perpetrating crime in the state.

“To be forewarned is to be forearmed, please,” he added. (NAN)