Police parade 14 kidnap suspects, recover 5 AK-47 rifles, 310 rounds in Enugu
Enugu State Police Command has paraded 14 suspected kidnappers allegedly linked to several kidnapping operations and a murder case across the state.
By Chinedu Sabastine
Enugu State Police Command has paraded 14 suspected kidnappers allegedly linked to several kidnapping operations and a murder case across the state.
State Police Commissioner, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, spoke at a news briefing on Thursday at the Command headquarters, saying the suspects were arrested through intelligence-led gatherings across several states.
According to Giwa, the operations led to the recovery of five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.
He stated that two of the suspects allegedly involved in the kidnapping of worshippers at St Joseph's Catholic Church, Inoyi in Affa Community, Udi Local Government Area of the state, fled to Port Harcourt but were later traced and arrested, adding that, preliminary investigations showed that after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their associates in Port Harcourt and kidnapped another victim, who was released after a N5 million ransom was paid.
Giwa further said that the 14 suspects were linked to a wider criminal network operating across different parts of the country, with members converging in Enugu to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.
His words, "The suspects had confessed to involvement in several kidnapping incidents along the Enugu-Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Road, Obioma-9th Mile-Umulumgbe-Ukpatu axis, Eke-Affa-Egede-Ezinze axis and other locations in Ezeagu Local Government Area."
Giwa further noted that the suspects had been linked to the abduction of a man at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa, Ezeagu, on May 25, 2026, for which N5.5 million ransom was allegedly collected, adding
that the gang was also linked to the abduction of two men and the shooting and killing of a woman at Obioma, Udi, on May 9, following which $28,700 was allegedly obtained as ransom.
The suspects were further linked to the abduction of two victims along the Eke-Ezinze Road, Udi, on April 10, for which $70,000 was allegedly paid as ransom, as well as the kidnapping of seven victims at Obinaofia, Ezeagu, on April 12, for which N25 million was allegedly collected, even as proceeds from the alleged criminal activities were laundered through investments in livestock and properties, lavish spending and overseas trips.
“The arrests and recoveries are a clear demonstration of the effectiveness of sustained intelligence gathering, ICT-enabled investigation, inter-agency collaboration, inter-state cooperation and coordinated operational policing adopted by the Command,” Giwa added.
He said investigations were ongoing to identify other members of the syndicate, recover more firearms and criminal proceeds, and establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent-crime cases within and outside Enugu State assuring residents that the Command would sustain its offensive against kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cultism and other violent crimes.
“We will continue to make Enugu State increasingly unconducive to unrepentant local criminals, criminal elements seeking to infiltrate the State, and their activities.
“I therefore urge residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities through established Police channels,” he said.
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