Rivers Police In Gun Duel With Kidnappers, Recover ₦2.38m Ransom
The Rivers State Police Command has smashed a deadly kidnapping syndicate operating in parts of Etche Local Government Area, recovering ransom money and weapons in an intelligence-driven operation that ended in a fierce gun battle and the death of two suspects.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko on Wednesday.
According to Iringe-Koko, the breakthrough followed the abduction of a female victim and three others on January 19, 2026, at Elele Waterside, Etche LGA, an incident that heightened fear across nearby communities.
Acting on credible intelligence, operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit (ACU), Emohua Annexe, intercepted two suspects along the Ozuzu–Apara Link Road on January 22, 2026, at about 8:49 p.m.
She said the suspects were identified as Abdullahi Ibrahim, 23, of Avara Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, and Mohammed Hashim, 27, of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Bauchi State.
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A search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of ₦2.383 million, believed to be part of the ransom paid by families of kidnapped victims.
Iringe-Koko said the suspects confessed during interrogation to their involvement in the Elele Waterside kidnapping and other abductions, including the seizure of two female victims from Akpoku Community, Etche LGA, on January 8, 2026.
She added that investigations further linked the gang to the killing of a community youth on January 13, 2026, while he was attempting to deliver a ransom of ₦3.8 million to secure the release of victims.
She added that the operation took a dramatic turn when the suspects led police operatives to their hideouts.
She said Officers were met with heavy resistance from other members of the gang, leading to a gun duel.
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The two arrested suspects were fatally wounded, while other gang members escaped into the surrounding bushes with suspected gunshot injuries.
Exhibits recovered during the operation include one pump-action gun and the sum of ₦2.383 million.
She said efforts have been intensified to track down the fleeing suspects and recover additional weapons in their possession.
Commending the operatives, the Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, reiterated the Command’s zero-tolerance stance on kidnapping and violent crime, assuring residents that Rivers State would remain hostile to criminal elements.
The Police also appealed to the public to report anyone seeking medical attention for suspicious gunshot wounds, noting that such information could aid ongoing investigations.
