The Rivers State Police Command has dismantled a kidnapping syndicate in the state, recovering ransom money and a pump-action gun, while two suspects were fatally wounded during a shootout with operatives.
The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement released on Wednesday, describing the operation as part of the police’s continued fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities in Rivers State.
According to her, the operation led to the arrest of two suspects linked to the kidnapping of a woman and three others on January 19, 2026, at Elele Waterside in Etche Local Government Area.
Iringe-Koko explained that the suspects were arrested on January 22 along the Ozuzu/Apara Link Road, also in Etche, after police operatives acted on credible intelligence.
She said the suspects were found with ₦2,383,000, believed to be part of the ransom paid by the victims’ families, as well as a pump-action gun.
The suspects were identified as Abdullahi Ibrahim, 23, from Avara Local Government Area in Nasarawa State, and Mohammed Hashim, 27, from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area in Bauchi State.
Preliminary investigations reportedly linked the suspects to other kidnapping cases, including the abduction of two women from Akpoku Community on January 8, 2026.
The police spokesperson added that the group had previously been involved in an incident where a youth was killed while attempting to deliver a ransom of ₦3.8 million, describing the gang as highly dangerous.
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During further investigation, the suspects reportedly led police to their hideouts, where other members of the gang resisted arrest, resulting in a gun battle.
Two suspects were shot and later confirmed dead, while others escaped into the bush with suspected bullet wounds.
Iringe-Koko said efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects, warning that they may still be armed.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Olugbenga A. Adepoju, praised the operatives involved and assured residents that the command would continue to clamp down on criminals.
He also urged members of the public to report anyone seen receiving treatment for gunshot injuries under suspicious circumstances, stressing that community cooperation remains key to tacklin
