ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- The Enugu State Police Command has paraded 14 suspected members of different kidnapping syndicates allegedly responsible for several abductions and a murder in the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the command’s headquarters in Enugu.
Giwa said the suspects were arrested through a series of intelligence-driven operations conducted in collaboration with other security agencies across several states.
He said the operations followed the rescue of kidnapped victims in Ogbozara, Nsukka Local Government Area, and Owukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, as well as the rescue of victims abducted from a church in Inoyi, Affa community, Udi LGA.
According to the CP, the church kidnapping investigation led to the arrest of three suspects, the neutralisation of another and the recovery of ransom money, firearms, ammunition and other exhibits.
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He added that two other suspects linked to the incident fled to Port Harcourt following security pressure but were later traced and arrested by the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit.
Giwa said preliminary investigations showed that the suspects later regrouped with other members of their gang in Port Harcourt, where they abducted another victim and collected N5 million ransom before releasing the victim.
The police commissioner said 12 other suspects were arrested in separate operations conducted between June and August in Abuja, Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba states.
He explained that investigations had uncovered an organised criminal network whose members operate from different parts of the country but converge in Enugu to plan and execute kidnapping operations.
The syndicate, he said, allegedly relied on an Enugu-based tricycle operator to transport its members, firearms and other equipment, while another member supplied intelligence on potential targets and helped the gang evade security surveillance.
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According to Giwa, the suspects have confessed to participating in several recent and past kidnapping operations along major routes and communities in Enugu State, including the Enugu-Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Road, Obioma-9th Mile-Umulumgbe-Okpatu Road, Eke-Affa-Egede-Ezinze axis and various locations in Ezeagu Local Government Area.
Among the incidents allegedly linked to the syndicate was the May 25 abduction of a man at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa in Ezeagu LGA, from which the gang reportedly collected N5.5 million ransom.
The suspects were also allegedly involved in the May 9 abduction of two men at Obioma, Udi LGA, during which a woman was shot dead and $28,700 was reportedly collected as ransom.
Other cases include the April 10 abduction of two men along the Eke-Ezinze Road, for which the gang allegedly received $70,000, and the April 12 kidnapping of seven people at Obinaofia, Ezeagu LGA, which reportedly yielded N25 million.
The CP said the suspects also disclosed other kidnapping incidents and ransom payments during interrogation.
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He added that investigators had uncovered attempts by the suspects to conceal proceeds from their criminal activities through investments in livestock and properties, lavish spending, foreign trips and other forms of conspicuous consumption.
Items recovered during the operations include five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight live cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.
Giwa said the investigation was ongoing to determine the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent crime cases, identify additional members of the syndicate and recover more weapons and criminal proceeds.
He assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cultism and other violent crimes, stressing that the suspects would be prosecuted after investigations are concluded.
The commissioner also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to security agencies, noting that public cooperation remained crucial to intelligence-led policing.