By Nicholas Ojo
No fewer than seven victims of kidnapping have been rescued in different operations in various parts of the state in the past one month.
It was learnt that Police operatives in Enugu working with other security agencies and vigilante operatives carried out the operation.
This was made known by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, spokesperson for the Enugu Police Command on Tuesday while parading 15 suspects arrested in different parts of the state for various criminal offences.
He explained that the suspects were arrested for offences bordering on conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, unlawful possession of firearms and fraud. Adding that the seven kidnapped victims were rescued during the arrests of some of the 15 suspects.
The Police spokesman asserted that operatives of Anti-Cultism Squad on June 26 at about 2 am, acting on a tip-off, raided a hotel (name withheld) along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and arrested Ali Jubril, 25.
He said: “These operational breakthroughs recorded by the Command is in pursuant of the policing strategies devised to curtail the activities of criminal elements in the State.
“These arrests also led to the rescue of seven kidnapped victims.
“We recovered seven firearms, two vehicles, one motorcycle, one dagger, N701,000 cash and other incriminating exhibits, in the separate operations carried out by police operatives with support from other security forces and law-abiding citizens.
“The suspect is reasonably suspected to be a member of a kidnapping gang, while N701,000 cash which he could not give a satisfactorily account of and one dagger, were recovered from him.
“Further discreet investigation is ongoing at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command on the matter,” he said.
He noted that similarly, police operatives serving in Igbo-Eze North Division, with active assistance from Forest Guard and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on June 25 at about 1 pm, rescued four kidnapped victims.
According to him, they were rescued after an intense gunfight with the kidnappers in a forest at Aishi-Ette community in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“Acting on a tip-off, police operatives serving in Adani Police Division, in a joint operation with troops of the Nigerian Army, Forest Guards and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on June 25 at about 6pm, rescued a woman and her child.
“The duo are alleged to have been kidnapped at Ngene-Ukwu, along Adani-Opanda Road. The joint security team is still on the trail of the suspected kidnappers.
“Also, on June 18, police operatives serving in Abakaliki Road Division, acting on credible information, busted a one chance armed robbery, abduction, rape and fraud syndicate, and arrested some suspects: These and other operational successes were recorded,” he said.