The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate during a coordinated operation in Oyigbo Local Government Area, in what authorities described as another major breakthrough in the fight against violent crime.
According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Grace Iringe-Koko, operatives attached to the Oyigbo Divisional Police Headquarters apprehended the suspects identified as Ezekiel Emmanuel, Chukwuma Mbanefor, Nicholas Diala, Ndubuisi Uwakwe, and 51-year-old Ifeanyi Nwakwo from Imo State.
The police said the suspects confessed during interrogation to their involvement in kidnapping activities and admitted participating in several abductions across Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama, and Afam communities.
The Command added that efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest other members of the criminal syndicate.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, said the successful operation reflects the implementation of the operational directives and intelligence-led policing strategy introduced by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu.
Adepoju reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-driven operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery, and other violent crimes across Rivers State.
He warned that there would be no safe haven for kidnappers and other criminal elements, stressing that the police would continue to pursue, arrest, and prosecute offenders.
The Commissioner also assured residents of the Command’s resolve to protect lives and property while urging members of the public to remain vigilant and provide credible, timely information to support crime prevention and the arrest of criminals.
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