The Rivers State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its fight against kidnapping with the arrest of two suspects linked to a series of abductions in Etche Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, on February 4, 2026, the suspects were arrested in connection with the kidnapping of a female victim and three others that occurred on January 19, 2026, at Elele Waterside, Etche LGA.
According to the Police, operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU), Emohua Annex, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted the suspects along the Ozuzu–Apara Link Road in Etche LGA on January 22, 2026, at about 8:49 p.m.
The suspects were identified as Abdullahi Ibrahim, 23, from Avara Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, and Mohammed Hashim, 27, from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
A search conducted on them led to the recovery of ₦2,383,000, said to be part of the ransom paid by the families of the kidnapped victims.
Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects confessed to the crime and admitted involvement in several other kidnappings, including the abduction of two female victims from Akpoku Community, Etche LGA, on January 8, 2026.
The Command further alleged that the gang was responsible for the killing of a youth from the community who attempted to deliver a ransom of ₦3.8 million to the kidnappers on January 13, 2026.
During further investigation, the suspects reportedly led police operatives to their hideouts. However, the operatives were said to have come under attack from other gang members, leading to an exchange of gunfire. In the process, the two suspects sustained fatal injuries, while other members of the gang escaped into nearby bushes.
Exhibits recovered during the operation included one pump-action gun and the sum of ₦2,383,000.
The Rivers State Police Command said efforts were ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects and recover their weapons.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their professionalism and bravery, reiterating the Command’s zero-tolerance stance on crime.
He urged residents to continue supporting the Police with timely and useful information, and appealed to members of the public to report anyone seeking medical treatment for suspicious gunshot injuries.
