Police bust kidnapping syndicate in Rivers, arrest five suspects
August 6, 2026 10:53 am
File. A Nigerian Policeman
By Dennis Naku
The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have busted a kidnapping syndicate and arrested five suspects in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
According to the command, the suspects were nabbed during a coordinated operation by operatives in the area.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, in Port Harcourt, the state capital, on Thursday.
She said the suspects confessed to the abduction during interrogation, saying they also admitted to terrorising residents of the local government and its environs.
The statement read, “The Rivers State Police Command has recorded another significant operational success with the arrest of five members of a suspected kidnapping syndicate during a coordinated operation in the Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
“Following the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Police Command, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, operatives of the command, divisional police station Oyigbo, arrested five members of the gang.
“The suspects are Ezekiel Emmanuel (male, 44 years) from Benue State, Chukwuma Mbanefor (male, 51 years) from Anambra State, Nicholas Diala (male, 65 years) from Imo State, Ndubuisi Uwakwe (male, 49 years) from Abia State and Ifeanyi Nwakwo (male, 51 years) from Imo State.
“In the course of investigation, the suspects confessed to their involvement in the kidnapping and further admitted to participating in several kidnapping operations within the Kom-Kom, Railway, Obeama and Afam communities.”
The spokesperson said efforts are ongoing to arrest other members of the criminal syndicate.
Commenting on the arrest, Adepoju said the success of the operation reflects the implementation of the operational directives and intelligence-driven policing strategy of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.
Adepoju reaffirmed the unwavering commitment of the command in sustaining aggressive intelligence-led operations against kidnapping, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes across the state.
He warned that there would be no haven for kidnappers or other criminal elements, as the command will relentlessly pursue, arrest and ensure they are identified, arrested and brought to justice.
The CP further assured residents that the command remains steadfast in its resolve to protect lives and property, and urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to provide credible and timely information to assist the police in preventing crime and apprehending criminal elements.
Dennis Naku is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with approximately 19 years of professional experience. He has previously worked with Champion Newspapers and National Mirror Newspaper, reporting across multiple beats. His work reflects extensive newsroom experience and a commitment to professional journalism practice.
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