By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested a gang of kidnappers in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.
Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP, Nnamdi Omoni stated this in a release made available to Phspectator.
Omoni stated that arms and ammunitions were also recovered from the syndicate while persons held hostage by the hoodlums were set free.
He said the feat was achieved due to information from members of the public.
“Yesterday we made a major breakthrough where men of the Command’s Crack Team arrested a kidnapping syndicate, released hostages and recovered Arms and Ammunition. This was done following information received, that kidnappers who had earlier attacked and killed two mobile police men attached to 48 PMF at Omerelu in Ikwerre Local Government Area and made away with their Rifles at Ubima with about six men suspected to have been kidnapped,” he said.
The police spokesman added that, “our intelligence led the Police Team to their camp where on sighting the Police the hoodlums opened fire on the Police which consequently left in its wake, the rescue of their hostages namely, Damiete Clinton Amachree ‘m’, Weldly Udo Abasi ‘m’, Deacon Sebastian Amenkhienan ‘m’, Reverend Ogagarue ‘m’ and Ibe Onyebuchi ‘m’ a staff of MCC Nigeria Limited who had been held hostage by their abductors in a bush at Ubima, two of the kidnappers were fatally wounded in the process, while two AK 47 Riffles with S/Nos. 0325836, 3552713 and Eighty Rounds of live Ammunition recovered from them. Investigation is on-going at the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU)”.
The statement also stated that on July 11, operatives of the command along Elele-Owerri Road, arrested a gang of Kidnappers who have been terrorizing motorist and passengers along the road while the kidnapped victim, one Oka Emmanuel ‘m’ was rescued.
Other items recovered from the suspects includes one sienna car with Reg. No. ERY 679 GR, one Honda Accord car with Reg. No. AHD 485 RX and one Toyota Sienna car with Reg. No. APP 292 DD.
Omoni said efforts are on to arrest other fleeing members of the gang and further re-affirm the command’s stance to nib crime in the bud in the state, but appealed to members of the public to volunteer information to the command.
