By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command says it has two persons in connection with the kidnap of a 13-year-old girl in Umuebule, Etche local government area of the state.
A statement from the Command’s Public. Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said on June 7, 2025, at about 0930hrs, the Command received credible intelligence regarding a the disappearance of the girl who went missing on June 5, 2025 at about 1530hrs, while running an errand for her mother in the community.
She said the victim’s mother subsequently received ransom demands of Two Million Naira (N2,000,000) via phone calls from the kidnappers, threatening that the daughter will be killed if the demand was not met.
She said operatives from the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Command promptly swung into action, arresting a 24-year-old female suspect from Igbo-Etche, suspected to be the subscriber of the SIM cards linked to the ransom demands, adding that the suspect had allegedly claimed that her phone was robbed on June 5, 2025.
“Further investigation on June 10, 2025 at about 1600hrs culminated in the arrest of the principal suspect, Chizoba Andrew Obi, a 36-year-old male suspect and the kidnapped victim was rescued unhurt in a fenced forest at Umuechem Community, Etche Local Government Area,” the statement read in part.
Iringe-Koko listed the followings as exhibits recovered from the forest; one locally made pistol and one live cartridge.
She said during interrogation, the suspect confessed to being a serial kidnapping kingpin operating with a four-man gang.
She further stated that as Police Operatives were approached the forest to recover the operational weapons of the gang members, they were engaged in a shootout while the suspect who attempted to flee was caught in the crossfire and sustained bullet wounds.
Iringe-Koko said he was rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) for medical treatment, but was pronounced dead by the Medical Doctor on duty.
The statement also said the victim has been debriefed and reunited with her family, assuring that investigation is ongoing, with efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate and recover their operational weapons.
She reassured that the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their bravery and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to ensuring safety and security of all citizens.
