The Rivers State Police Command has prevented a kidnap attempt in Port Harcourt’s Government Reserved Area (GRA), arresting a suspected gang member and seizing firearms and ammunition.
The police said the suspected kidnappers opened fire when officers raided their hideout, forcing some members to escape with gunshot injuries.
The operation followed a report on March 20 from a resident, Fadi Nasser, who told the police that armed men had stormed his home along Orogbum Crescent, Woji Road, attempting to abduct him. Nasser, however, managed to escape unharmed, allowing security forces to respond immediately.
Rivers State Police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, described the arrest and weapons recovery as a major success in combating criminal activities in the state. She explained that a mobile phone found at the scene provided key intelligence that led officers to identify Joseph Abibo, a suspected member of the gang.
According to the spokesperson, Abibo gave information that helped the police locate the gang’s hideout in Aluu. On arrival, operatives were met with heavy gunfire. “Our officers engaged the suspects and overpowered them despite the attack,” Iringe-Koko said, adding that six suspects reportedly escaped into a nearby river with gunshot wounds.
The raid yielded two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and 108 rounds of live ammunition, all believed to have been used in the gang’s operations.
The police said they are intensifying efforts to track down the fleeing suspects and bring them to justice.
