Police rescue 28 kidnap victims, arrest 10 suspects

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The police in Enugu State say they have rescued 28 kidnap victims and arrested 10 male suspects across communities in Nigeria.

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The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.

Mr Ndukwe, a superintendent of police, said the rescue of the victims and arrest of the suspects happened during “multiple coordinated” operations in the state.

The police spokesperson said some firearms, ammunition, cash, vehicles, motorcycles, and other exhibits were recovered from the suspects during the operations.

The operations

Mr Ndukwe said police operatives from the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad rescued a kidnap victim on 13 May at about 9:45 p.m. along the Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway in the state.

The spokesperson said the operatives recovered the victim’s Toyota Camry, a white Toyota Corolla used by the kidnappers and a Lexus 330 SUV abandoned at the scene in Premier Layout, Independence Layout in the state.

He said operations to track down the fleeing suspects were ongoing.

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Mr Ndukwe also said, at about 5:30 p.m on 14 May, police operatives in Igbo-Eze North Division in collaboration with personnel of the Nigerian military and Neighbourhood Watch, rescued 21 kidnapped victims in Amaka-Okpodu Community in Kogi State, Nigeria’s north-central.

“The victims, some of whom were returning from a traditional marriage ceremony, had been allegedly abducted on May 10, 2025, along Iyionu-Aguibeje Road in Igbo-Eze North LGA (in Enugu State) by hooded armed men.

“Five male suspects were subsequently arrested following credible intelligence, and three firearms were also recovered,” he said.

The police spokesperson said a minibus and four motorcycles used by the victims were earlier recovered from the scene of the attack.

Mr Ndukwe said four other kidnap victims were rescued on Sunday by operatives from Umumba Divisional Police Headquarters in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards and residents of the community.

He said the four rescued victims – two males and two females – were kidnapped along Umumba-Ndiuno-Aguoba Road in Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State.

“Four male suspects linked to the crime were immediately arrested and are currently assisting with ongoing investigations,” he said.

The spokesperson said, at about 6:34 p.m. on the same day, operatives from Ninth Mile Divisional Police Headquarters “rescued and rearrested” a yet-to-be identified male suspect from an angry mob in response to a distress call.

“The suspect and three others had attempted to kidnap a woman, who raised an alarm and was abandoned by the suspects.”

The rearrested suspect, who was severely beaten by the mob, was taken to hospital for treatment and is being investigated further,” he stated.

Mr Ndukwe said that earlier on Saturday, police operatives from Okpuje Police Division combed a forest that shares a boundary with Okpuje in Enugu State and Odolu in Kogi State.

The operation was conducted in collaboration with Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guards members.

During the operation, the spokesperson said the security operatives intercepted two men in possession of N150,000 and N70,000 respectively.

He said that apart from the money, the two men had loaves of bread and drinks that they intended to deliver to some kidnappers as ransom, which they demanded.

Upon further incursion, the team encountered armed resistance from the kidnappers but responded with superior firepower, forcing them to flee with gunshot wounds and abandon the victims, a pump-action gun, and two live cartridges.

“The victims were rescued unhurt, and the exhibits recovered. Efforts to track down the fleeing suspects are ongoing,” Mr Ndukwe stated.

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He said the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, commended the police operatives for conducting the operations successfully in collaboration with other security agencies.

Mr Giwa said the state police command was committed to making Enugu “safer and more secure by rooting out violent criminals and their activities.”

The police chief urged residents to remain law-abiding and vigilant and cooperate with police and other law enforcement authorities in fighting criminality in the state.

Kidnap for ransom

Like other states in the South-east, cases of kidnap-for-ransom in Enugu State have increased in recent times.

Civil servants, business owners, politicians and even students have become targets of such attacks in the state lately.

Beyond the kidnap attacks, gunmen said to be part of the Biafra agitation in the South-east have been terrorising residents of the region.

Several persons, including security agencies and government officials, have been killed or killed by the attackers.

The outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been blamed for the frequent attacks in the South-east.

But the group has repeatedly denied any involvement in the attacks.

IPOB is seeking the secession of South-east and some parts of the South-south from Nigeria.