2 deadly kidnappers meet Waterloo in Rivers State

TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

The Rivers State police command and the Inspector General of Police Monitoring Unit in the state have gunned down two kidnappers and arrested one with bullet wounds.

The IGP Monitoring Unit led by ACP Bennett Igweh,  stormed the kidnappers’ den in Khana Local Government Area of the state and also rescued a kidnap victim.

Addressing newsmen while displaying the remains of the hoodlums and the arrested suspect, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Nnamdi Omoni, disclosed that the gang was responsible for most crimes in Ogoni axis of the state.

Omoni who spoke on behalf of the new Commissioner of Police, Usman Belel, stated that the IGP monitoring team had invaded the camp of the kidnappers about 1:00am and recorded the feat.

He said: “The new Commissioner of Police in the state, Usman Belel, upon resumption of duty, promised to tackle insecurity head on.

“They kidnapped a lady on the January 7 around Woji in Port Harcourt, in Obio/Akpor and took her to Khana LGA. They collected N1 million from the relatives of the victim.

“The police invaded the camp of the kidnappers about 1:00am, in Khana Local Government Area. The kidnappers engaged our men in gun battle; in the process, two of the criminals were killed and one apprehended.

“The one we arrested is cooperating with the police and we have launched a manhunt to arrest others who are at large,” Omoni stated

Meanwhile, the rescued victim, who, for security reasons did not want her name in print, said for four days she was in the custody of the criminals, the bandits gave her only two sachets of pure water and no food.

She narrated that her face was blindfolded throughout the four days she was kept in the forest until the police team came to rescue her.

Among the items recovered from the bandits were arms and ammunition, as well as an operational vehicle.