The police in Enugu State, Nigeria’s South-east, say they have arrested 12 kidnappers who separately collected $98 million and N30.5 million ransoms and then killed a female victim in the state.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Bitrus Giwa, disclosed this during a press briefing and parade of the suspects at the State Police Headquarters on Friday.
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Mr Giwa said the kidnappers were arrested through “human and technical intelligence-led operations conducted in different parts of the country.”
The commissioner said the suspects were arrested on various dates in June, July and August 2026 in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba States.
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“Preliminary investigation indicates that the suspects are members of an organised criminal network operating from different parts of the country.
“They converge in Enugu State to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.
“The network is aided by an Enugu-based member who operates a tricycle and provides transportation for the gang members, their firearms and other criminal implements to and from operational locations,” he said.
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“Another Enugu-based member provides intelligence that enables the gang to evade security surveillance and identify suitable targets and locations.”
But the police chief did not provide the identity of the suspects.
How they collected millions of dollars as ransoms
Mr Giwa said the kidnappers have confessed during interrogation that they were involved in several recent and past kidnap incidents across parts of Enugu State, including Enugu–Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road.
He said police investigation showed that the kidnappers had abducted seven victims at Obinaofia Community in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state on 12 April, during which they collected N25 million as ransom.
The commissioner further said the suspects had also kidnapped a male victim at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa in Ezeagu Local Government Area of the state on 25 May, during which they collected N5.5 million as ransom.
He also said the investigation showed that the suspects kidnapped two male victims at Obioma in Udi Local Government Area of the state on 9 May, obtained a $28,700 ransom and then murdered a female victim.
The police chief said the suspects further kidnapped two additional male victims along the Eke–Ezinze Road in Udi Local Government Area of the state on 10 April before collecting $70,000 ransom.
“Investigation has further revealed that the suspects laundered and concealed proceeds of their criminal activities through investments in livestock and different properties, lavish spending and other conspicuous consumption, as well as leisure and overseas trips, including trips to neighbouring countries such as Cameroon,” he said.
During interrogation by reporters, one of the suspects, who claimed to be an indigene of Taraba State, confessed that they had carried out kidnap attacks across Enugu State in recent times.
The suspect said he had gotten over N10 million as proceeds from his group’s kidnapping attacks, explaining that he was lured into the criminal venture by one of his friends.
More arrests, investigation
Mr Giwa also gave a fresh update on the kidnapping of the Catholic seminarian and one other worshipper in Udi Local Government Area of the state.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that suspected kidnappers invaded a Catholic Church in Enugu State and abducted the seminarian, Chidera Igbo, and one other worshipper, Emmanuel Onwudi.
The incident occurred on 2 August when the attackers invaded St. Joseph Catholic Church, Inoyi, in Affa, Udi Local Government Area of the state.
This newspaper also reported that the victims were released after one week by the kidnappers after payment of ransom, before a combined team of security operatives arrested the hoodlums.
In his update during Friday’s press briefing, Mr Giwa said apart from the arrest of three suspects and the killing of one of them, two additional male suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident.
The commissioner said the two additional suspects were arrested by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit in further intelligence-led operations.
“The duo, who fled to Port Harcourt following the operational pressure mounted by joint security operatives, were traced and arrested in Port Harcourt and brought back to Enugu.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that, after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was released after a ransom of N5,000,000.00 was paid,” he said.
The police chief said some arms and ammunition were recovered from the suspects during the operations.
He listed the recovered items as five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight live cartridges, and seven AK-47 empty magazines.
Mr Giwa said the Command was carrying out further investigation to establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent crime incidents within and outside Enugu State.
He said the investigation would help the police to identify and arrest other members of the syndicate, and recover additional firearms, ammunition and other criminal proceeds.
“Upon conclusion of investigation, the suspects will be charged to court in accordance with extant laws,” he said.
The commissioner said the arrests and recoveries were “a clear demonstration” of the effectiveness of sustained intelligence gathering, ICT-enabled investigation, inter-agency collaboration, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operational policing adopted by the Command.
He assured people of Enugu State that the police were resolute in their onslaught against criminality, urging residents to support the police by providing useful information about crime suspects and their activities.
Praise for Mbah, IGP
Mr Giwa praised the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, for his “strategic leadership, guidance and sustained operational support, which he said, have continued to enhance effective and result-oriented policing in Enugu State.
The commissioner also hailed Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for his support and commitment to making the state safe, secure, and conducive to residents, visitors, and legitimate economic activities.
“I equally commend other security agencies for their collaborative support, while also thanking members of the public for their continued cooperation and timely provision of useful information to the police,” he said.
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