End Of The Road For Four Kidnappers In Rivers As Police Thwart N300M Ransom Deal

By Frank Oshanugor

What would have been an enduring humongous returns from a ransom deal has ironically landed five kidnappers in police net in Rivers State.

The Rivers State Police Command under the leadership of Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu in further demonstrating its unwavering commitment in combating the menace of kidnapping within the region on Thursday clamped down on suspected criminal elements in the state and the effort resulted in the successful arrest of five individuals suspected to be involved in kidnapping and cultism.

According to Rivers State spokesperson Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police in a statement, the investigation was initiated following a report made by the management of Lujo Heights Homes on January 19, 2024. The report detailed the disappearance of four staff members during a routine property inspection in Okocha Community, Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area.

“Despite repeated attempts to establish contact, there was no response from the missing individuals. However through meticulous intelligence-gathering efforts, the police apprehended four suspects believed to be connected to the incident. The arrested individuals have been identified as Yahaya Bello, Aliyu Usman, Sule Abubakar, and Abdullahi Adamu.”

The Police Public Relations Officer further stated that “during questioning, these suspects confessed to their involvement in the abduction of the victims, as well as the subsequent destruction of the Toyota Sequoia SUV they were traveling in.

“The victims, who endured a harrowing ordeal in the forests of Etche, on their rescue recounted being subjected to inhumane treatment and constant threats of death unless a ransom of NGN 300,000,000 was paid for their release.

“Investigations revealed that these individuals are part of a criminal network predominantly comprising Fulani individuals operating under the guise of cattle rearers. They have been engaged in a series of kidnappings across Rivers, Delta, and Edo states. In Port Harcourt, they had taken up residence in Valley Decision Estate, where they deceitfully convinced the community to grant them access to the land, purportedly for protection against land grabbers.

“Aliyu Usman, aged 33 who hails from Kebbi State, emerged as a central figure in the criminal operations. He had been working as a security guard in Valley Decision Estate, Rumukwurushi, facilitating the infiltration of criminals . Aliyu has a previous history of involvement in armed robbery,” Iringe-Koko disclosed.

She further revealed that Sule Abubakar, aged 25 was brought into the gang by Aliyu with the aim of strengthening their criminal activities in Port Harcourt. During interrogation, Sule confessed to his participation in his first kidnapping assignment in Edo State, alongside his elder brother who is currently at large.

“Abdullahi Adamu, aged 20 from Taraba State, had recently arrived in Port Harcourt and was undergoing training in criminal operations under the guidance of Aliyu.

“Furthermore, Mallam Yahaya, who had been supplying food to the captors, was also apprehended. He admitted to receiving a sum of NGN 470,000 as his share of the ransom.”

It was gathered that during the operations, the police were able to recover two locally-made pistols, two smartphones, and a black Toyota Sequoia belonging to the gang. Meanwhile, detectives have launched manhunt for other members of the criminal network who are still at large.