Police Rescue Kidnap Victim, Arrest Suspect With AK-47 Rifle
Operatives of the Delta State Police Command have rescued a kidnap victim and also arrested a suspected kidnapper along Irri-Aviara community road in the Ughelli area of the state.
Following the kidnap of the victim, a 63-year-old lady, on November 26, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ari Muhammed Ali, ordered the immediate arrest of the suspects.
The directive, according to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Edafe Bright, forced the Divisional Police Officer of Oleh Division, Paul Oboware to swiftly mobilise, lead police patrol teams in a combined effort with Irri vigilante and cordon the surrounding bushes.
It was gathered that the hoodlums on sighting the police, abandoned the victim and escaped into the bush.
“In compliance with the directive of the CP, the DPO Oleh division embarked on the intelligence-led investigation. Police Operatives and vigilante were strategically deployed for the purpose of getting useful information with a view to seeing that these hoodlums are arrested and brought to book,” the statement read.
“Consequently, it paid off as on the 02/12/2021 at about 2143hrs, he received another distress call from the vigilante deployed around Irri roundabout Oleh, that some hoodlums were sighted near the roundabout and operating in a white Toyota Hilux without the registration number.
“He further stated that in an attempt to kidnap one man (name withheld) who recently returned from Europe, a disagreement ensued among themselves which made residents in the area who became suspicious to alert the vigilante.”
Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to being part of the gang that kidnapped the 63-year-old victim and abandoned her when they noticed that the police were closing in on them.
The suspect led police operatives to his house where one AK -47 rifle, 19 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, one magazine, one pump action gun and 26 live cartridges concealed in a sack bag and buried in the compound were recovered.
The police authorities equally vowed to arrest other fleeing suspected kidnappers.
