Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have rescued 28 kidnapped victims, arrested 10 male suspects, and recovered firearms, ammunition, cash, vehicles, motorcycles, and other exhibits in a series of coordinated operations carried out under the directive of the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa.
The command’s spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, who confirmed the development in a statement, described the operations as part of ongoing efforts to rid the state of violent criminal elements. He said that on May 18, at about 6:30 p.m., officers attached to the Umumba Police Division, working in collaboration with Neighbourhood Watch, Forest Guards, and local community members, rescued two male and two female victims kidnapped along the Umumba-Ndiuno-Aguoba Road in Ezeagu Local Government Area. Four male suspects connected to the incident were arrested during a tactical bush-combing operation and are currently assisting with investigations.
Also on May 18, at around 6:34 p.m., operatives from the 9th Mile Division responded to a distress call and rescued a male suspect from a mob after he and three accomplices attempted to kidnap a woman. The woman raised an alarm, prompting her attackers to flee. The suspect, who was badly beaten by the mob, is receiving medical treatment and remains under investigation.
Ndukwe added that on May 17, operatives from the Okpuje Division, alongside Neighbourhood Watch and Forest Guards, carried out a joint bush-combing operation in a forest bordering Okpuje in Enugu State and Odolu in Kogi State. Two men carrying N150,000 and N70,000 in cash—allegedly intended for ransom payments—were intercepted along with bread and drinks requested by the kidnappers. During the operation, the team encountered armed resistance but overpowered the criminals, who fled with gunshot injuries, abandoning the kidnapped victims, a pump-action gun, and two live cartridges. The victims were rescued unharmed, and efforts to apprehend the fleeing kidnappers are ongoing.
On May 14, around 5:30 a.m., officers from Igbo-Eze North Division, working with the military and local security groups, rescued 21 kidnapped victims in Amaka-Okpodu community in Kogi State. The victims had been abducted on May 10 while returning from a traditional marriage ceremony on Iyionu-Aguibeje Road. Five male suspects were later arrested based on credible intelligence. Three firearms were recovered along with a minibus and four motorcycles used by the victims.
In another operation on May 13 at about 9:45 p.m., the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad rescued a victim along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway and recovered his Toyota Camry. A white Toyota Corolla with registration number ENU 703 LP, used by the kidnappers, and a Lexus 330 Jeep abandoned at the crime scene in Premier Layout, Independence Layout, Enugu, were also recovered. Manhunts for the fleeing suspects are ongoing.
