The police in Rivers State have arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping syndicate who allegedly collected a ransom of ₦10.3 million for the release of a kidnap victim.
Operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU-AKU) arrested the suspects following an intelligence-led operation, the police said.
The police identified the suspects as Victor Ifeanyi, 24, alias Big Boby, from Aguleri Community, Otuocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, and Aniekan Michael, 36, alias Duff Man, from Ikot Ukpor, Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
The state police spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, disclosed this in a statement posted on Facebook on Monday.
According to the police, the victim, identified as Mr Hassan, a resident of Rivers State, was abducted on 6 September 2026 near Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt.
The kidnappers allegedly took him to Igbugulu Waterside, Borikiri, Port Harcourt, where he was held captive for three days.
The police said the victim was released after his relatives paid a ransom of ₦10.3 million.
Police launch investigation
The command said it received credible information about the abduction on 7 September and immediately deployed operatives of the VCRU-AKU to investigate the incident.
The intelligence-led operation subsequently led to the arrest of the two suspects.
“Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects confessed to their alleged involvement in the operation,” the police said.
The suspects reportedly told investigators that the gang consisted of six members and that they used a white mini-bus, popularly known as a Keke bus, during the operation.
The police said efforts were ongoing to arrest the four other members of the syndicate.
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Police intensify anti-kidnapping operations
The arrests come amid other recent police operations against suspected kidnappers in Rivers State.
In one recent case, police arrested four suspected kidnappers and rescued an abducted woman in the state. This newspaper reported that the operation was part of efforts by security agencies to dismantle kidnapping networks operating in the region.
In another operation, police rescued a kidnap victim and apprehended a suspect, PREMIUM TIMES reported.
The Police Commissioner in the state, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to provide credible information that could help the command identify and arrest criminal elements.
Mr Adepoju assured the public that the command would treat such information in confidence.
He said the command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations to disrupt kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks across the state.
The commissioner also urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
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