The police say they have intercepted a four-man gang of “heavily armed” kidnappers in Rivers State.

The incident, which the police described as a major breakthrough, occurred along Azikiwe Road, Port Harcourt, on November 29, according to a police statement released on Thursday.

The suspected kidnappers were allegedly on their way to carry out criminal operation when they were intercepted by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT), acting on “credible intelligence and public support”.

One of the suspects was arrested, while three others were fatally wounded during a gun battle with the police, said the statement issued by the Force spokesman, Don Awunah.

The police gave the name of the arrested suspect as James Peter, a 30 year-old man said to be from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. He is said to be cooperating with the police in the investigation into the criminal activities of the gang.

The police said the gang was notorious for terrorizing the waterways in Rivers and Bayelsa states.

The police said it recovered one General Purpose Machine Gun, one AK-47 riffle, chains of GPMG ammunition and two fully loaded AK-47 magazines from the suspects.

“The Inspector General of Police, IGP Ibrahim K. Idris, has once again enjoined Nigerians never to hesitate to provide the police with valuable information and assures them of renewed commitment on the part of the force in the fight against crime and antisocial behaviour,” the statement said.