VOICE AIR MEDIA, News Update

There was a heated gunfire exchange, on Thursday, as the police rescued Segun Akinyemi, an Abuja resident, who was kidnapped just as he was driving out of his house.

Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, ASP Mansir Hassan, stated that the police ambushed the kidnappers while they were transporting Akinyemi from Abuja to Kano State.

According to him, on January 18, 2024, operatives stationed at Kawo Divisional Headquarters in Kaduna got a distress call regarding an abduction event that had occurred in Abuja.

He said that they had received notification that the offenders and their victim were passing through Kaduna.

“The Operatives, at about 0010 hours, blocked a grey Toyota Hilux van with registration number Abuja RBC 90 DC, carrying four passengers, the driver inclusive, suspected to be the vehicle conveying the kidnappers and their victim.”

“On sensing danger and in an effort to escape, one of the kidnappers fired at the Policemen, and they responded accordingly. In the resulting gun duel, the victim, a certain Segun Akinyemi of block 10, flat 2 FCDA quarters Area 3 Garki, Abuja, was rescued, and one of the kidnappers, a 28-year-old Chinaza Philip of Life Camp Abuja, was arrested,” he said.

The police said the three other suspects who escaped are being trailed, adding that the vehicle belonging to the victim, two Retay G17 model pistols, one Beretta pistol, ten 9mm P.A.K ammunitions, and five 9mm special ammunitions were recovered from the kidnappers.

He said preliminary inquiries revealed that the victim was abducted on January 17, 2024, by the kidnappers just when he was leaving his home situated at the aforementioned address.

He identified the three fugitive suspects as the gang boss, whose identity is still unknown, Chidibere Nwodibo of Life Camp, Abuja, and one Auwal with an unknown surname.

Prior to being stopped by the police, the kidnappers were taking their victim to Kano.

CP A.D. Ali, the Commissioner of Police for Kaduna State Command, praised the Operatives for their gallantry but assigned them the ongoing duty of pursuing criminal groups within the State.

He urged the people to use the hotlines of security services in case they had any emergency that needed to be handled right away.