Rivers police command Captured Kidnapers Along PH-Owerri Road

The Rivers State police command has successfully dismantled a kidnapping gang notorious for setting up illegal roadblocks along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road to abduct passengers. According to the new Police Commissioner, Mustapha Bala, the gang’s method involved stopping motorists at gunpoint, taking hostages, and demanding ransom.

On October 17, 2024, two suspects were arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, and the gang leader was captured on October 19 in Egbeda. The suspects have confessed to their involvement in kidnapping, and their arrest was made possible through intelligence gathering. Investigations are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices and recover their weapons.

This operation is expected to bring relief to travelers on the busy Port Harcourt-Owerri Road, a key route connecting the South-South region to states like Imo, Anambra, and Lagos. The police believe this gang was responsible for the recent abduction of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and two others along the Elele/Omerelu axis.

The police assured the public of their heightened efforts to maintain safety on the expressway, urging citizens to report suspicious activities. In addition to this success, two coordinated raids at Elechi Beach and Nanka waterfront targeted criminal hideouts, leading to the arrest of an armed robber and the recovery of weapons, ammunition, and a stolen vehicle.

Other operations were also carried out in Mogho, Gokana LGA, as the police continue their crackdown on criminal gangs in the region.