Police operatives in Enugu working with other security agencies and vigilante operatives rescued seven victims of kidnapping in different operations in various parts of the state in the past one month.
DSP Daniel Ndukwe, the spokesperson for the Enugu Police Command revealed this on Tuesday while parading 15 suspects arrested in different parts of the state for the various criminal offences.
According to him, the suspects were arrested for offences bordering on conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, unlawful possession of firearms and fraud.
He added that the seven kidnapped victims were rescued during the arrests of some of the 15 suspects.
Speaking during the parade, Ndukwe said: “These operational breakthroughs recorded by the Command is in pursuant of the policing strategies devised to curtail the activities of criminal elements in the State.
“These arrests also led to the rescue of seven kidnapped victims.
“We recovered seven firearms, two vehicles, one motorcycle, one dagger, N701,000 cash and other incriminating exhibits, in the separate operations carried out by police operatives with support from other security forces and law-abiding citizens.”
He said that operatives of Anti-Cultism Squad on June 26 at about 2am, acting on a tip-off, raided a hotel (name withheld) along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and arrested Ali Jubril, 25.
“The suspect is reasonably suspected to be a member of a kidnapping gang, while N701,000 cash which he could not give a satisfactorily account of and one dagger, were recovered from him.
“Further discreet investigation is ongoing at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command on the matter,” he said.
He noted that similarly, police operatives serving in Igbo-Eze North Division, with active assistance from Forest Guard and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on June 25 at about 1pm, rescued four kidnapped victims.
According to him, they were rescued after an intense gun fight with the kidnappers in a forest at Aishi-Ette community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“Acting on a tip-off, police operatives serving in Adani Police Division, in a joint operation with troops of the Nigerian Army, Forest Guards and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on June 25 at about 6pm, rescued a woman and her child.
“The duo are alleged to have been kidnapped at Ngene-Ukwu, along Adani-Opanda Road. The joint security team is still on the trail of the suspected kidnappers.
“Also, on June 18, police operatives serving in Abakaliki Road Division, acting on credible information, busted a one chance armed robbery, abduction, rape and fraud syndicate, and arrested some suspects: These and other operational successes were recorded,” he said.
Ndukwe commended law-abiding residents for assisting the police with relevant information that led to the arrests.
Ndukwe said that the suspects would be arraigned in court and prosecuted accordingly once investigations into the various cases were concluded.
“To this end, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Ahmed Ammani, commended police operatives and all who supported them to actualise these operational feats.
“The commissioner also reiterated the commitment of the Command to continue to protect the lives and properties of citizens, as well as maintain maximum public security and safety in the state,” he said.