The Rivers State Police Command has rescued a 35-year-old woman abducted from her shop and arrested four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly linked to the crime.
The operation, carried out by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), followed a complaint from Mr Ikechukwu, who reported the abduction of his wife.
The suspects were arrested in the Aluu area of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area after an intelligence-driven investigation.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the victim was kidnapped on July 11, 2026, while attending to customers at her business premises.
She was reportedly taken away by armed men using a white tinted mini-bus, which the police later recovered during the operation.
The command identified the arrested suspects as Owhor Chinedu, 42, from Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area; Isioto Waribok, 30, from Andoni LGA; Maduabuchi Emeka, 34, from ONELGA; and Joe Karachi, 28, also from ONELGA, all in Rivers State.
The police said the breakthrough followed the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, who ordered the VCRU to launch a thorough investigation into the abduction.
“Acting on the report and on the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, the VCRU launched an intensive intelligence-driven investigation that led to the arrest of four suspects,” the command stated.
The victim was rescued unhurt during the operation, while the vehicle allegedly used by the kidnappers was recovered as an exhibit.
The police added that preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects had admitted involvement in the crime, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend two other members of the gang who remain at large.
The command also said it was working to recover firearms allegedly used during the kidnapping operation.
Reassuring residents of continued efforts to combat violent crimes, CP Adepoju said the police would sustain operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks across the state.
He urged members of the public to provide timely and credible information to security agencies, assuring that such information would be treated with confidentiality.
“The Rivers State Police Command remains committed to protecting lives and property and will continue to deploy every lawful strategy to ensure that perpetrators of crime are identified, apprehended and brought to justice,” the command said.
