The Enugu State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and related crimes in the state.
The Command disclosed that its operatives have neutralised one suspected kidnapper, arrested five others, and successfully rescued a kidnap victim in a series of coordinated operations.
This development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe.
According to Ndukwe, the police also recovered an AK-47 rifle loaded with two live rounds of ammunition, a Toyota Corolla vehicle, and ₦10 million in cash, which was part of the ransom collected by the suspects. Several other incriminating items were also seized during the operations.
Providing further details, Ndukwe stated that on July 16, 2025, at approximately 3:00 p.m., operatives from the Okpuje Police Division, working in collaboration with members of the Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and local hunters, swiftly responded to a distress call.
The report had alerted security personnel to the presence of armed kidnappers spotted within the Okpuje-Ani community forest in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
Upon arriving at the scene, the security team encountered armed resistance as the suspects opened fire. However, the operatives engaged them in a fierce gun battle, during which one of the suspects was fatally shot, while the others managed to escape into the forest. The recovered AK-47 rifle and ammunition were retrieved from the deceased suspect.
In a related development on the same day, at around 4:00 p.m., operatives from the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad, acting on credible intelligence, arrested a 23-year-old male suspect identified as Aliyu Adamu at Ugwu-Onyeama, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
During preliminary interrogation, Adamu confessed to his involvement in multiple kidnapping incidents. He further revealed that he had been invited from Awka, Anambra State, by an accomplice who is currently at large, to carry out criminal activities in Enugu State.
Similarly, in a separate intelligence-driven operation conducted on July 15, 2025, at about 2:20 p.m., the Command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad apprehended two female suspects. The suspects, identified as Juliet Chukwu, aged 39, and Nancy Chukwu, aged 40, are sisters who falsely claimed to be law enforcement officers.
They were arrested while sharing the sum of ₦10 million, which was part of the ransom they had obtained after conspiring to kidnap their own kinsman.
The sisters had originally demanded ₦50 million from the victim’s family but settled for ₦10 million. The victim was eventually rescued unharmed, and the police recovered the ransom cash alongside a Toyota Corolla vehicle owned by one of the female suspects.
Additionally, SP Ndukwe recalled that earlier in the month, on July 5, 2025, at about 5:30 p.m., operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested two male suspects during a tactical operation at Okemmou, 9th Mile Corner in Udi Local Government Area.
The suspects, identified as Usman Musa (20) and Musa Zaria (24), both natives of Kogi State, were found in possession of clothing and a wristwatch belonging to two male victims who had been kidnapped on July 4, 2025.
The victims later positively identified both the items recovered and the suspects as those involved in their abduction. The police have assured that the arrested suspects will be charged to court once ongoing investigations are concluded, while efforts are being intensified to apprehend other suspects who remain at large.
Commenting on these developments, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the operatives for their bravery, professionalism, and rapid response.
He reaffirmed the Command’s unwavering commitment to eradicating criminal elements from the state and ensuring the sustained safety and security of all residents.
CP Giwa further urged members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to cooperate with the police by providing timely and useful information that could aid in curbing crime in the state.