By: Felix Ikpotor
The Rivers State Police Command has arrested four suspects involved in multiple kidnap cases in the state.
The suspect all hailing from the northern part were arrested along the Ipo/Ozouha farm road in Ikwerre local government area of the state.
A statement by the state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP. Grace Iringe-Koko said the arrest followed credible intelligence and sustained operational efforts by operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit Emuohia Annex of the State Command.
She said the suspects had earlier kidnapped one Miss Favour Chika of Igwuruta Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on 25th February 2026 at about 9:00 a.m. while on her way to the farm and was later released on 2nd March 2026 after a ransom of Three Million Naira (N3,000,000) was reportedly paid by her family.
Iringe-Koko stated: “Acting on credible intelligence and sustained operational efforts, Police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit Emuohia Annex , successfully tracked and arrested four suspects on the early hours of the day at about 5:20 a.m. along Ipo/Ozouha Farm Road, where they were reportedly planning another kidnapping operation”.
She listed the names of the suspects as: Usman Dan-Mama (Male, 20 years), a native of Mubi, Adamawa State, Abdullahi Kabir (Male, 27 years), a native of Damaturu, Yobe State, Idris Ismaila (Male, 20 years), a native of Taraba State and Mohammed Dalandi (Male, 22 years), a native of Yobe State.
The police said upon their arrest, a search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of one locally made pistol, one cut-to-size single barrel gun and twenty live cartridges.
Upon interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to carrying out several kidnapping operations within the Igwuruta-Ali, Omagwa, Ozuoha, Ipo, and Etche axis of the state.
Iringe-Koko said the suspects admitted to being responsible for the abduction of one Engr. Okoro Osita and his friend, which occurred on 12th February 2026 along Airport Road, Port Harcourt. The victims were later released after the payment of a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000) by their families.
”They also confessed to the kidnapping of one Sympathy Agu of Umuka-Mba, Etche, and one Chioma Njoku of Obiri, Etche. That incident occurred on 31st January 2026 along Afara/Egwi Road in Etche Local Government Area, where the victims were also released after their families paid a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000), ” she added.
While stating that efforts are currently ongoing to arrest other members of the criminal syndicate who are still at large, she retated the commitment of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, to ensuring the safety and security of all residents, urging members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information that will assist in combating crime across the State.
