Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command said men of the Command’s Crack Team had smashed a kidnapping syndicate, released hostages and recovered some arms and ammunition.
According to the press statement by the the new Public Relations Officer for the Command, Omoni Nnamdi, a Deputy Superintendent Of Police, DSP, the breakthrough was based on 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 were spotted with six men suspected to have been abducted.
“Our intelligence led the Police Team to their camp where on sighting the Police the hoodlums opened fire on the Police which led to 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.
After the gun duel, two of the kidnappers were shot dead in the process, while two AK 47 riffles with S/Nos. 0325836, 3552713 and 80 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from them while investigation is on-going at the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit (AKU).
In a related development, Operatives of the Command’s Crack Team on the 11th day of July 2016 along Elele-Owerri Road, arrested a gang of kidnappers who have been allegedly terrorizing motorists and passengers along that Road.
During the rescue operation, a kidnap victim, one Oka Emmanuel was rescued.
Police have listed some items recovered include: One Sienna car with Reg. No. ERY 679 GR,One Honda Accord Care with Reg. No. AHD 485 RX and One Toyota Sienna car with Reg. No. APP 292 DD
The Command said that efforts are still on to arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
The Command re-affirmed its stance to nip crime in the bud in the state, assuring all and sundry that Rivers would be safe again as it spares no efforts in reducing crime to its barest minimum in the state.
The Command solicits the cooperation and understanding of the people to timely volunteer information to the Police or avail themselves of the Police security lines which are available in all Police Divisions and formations across the state.