Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command has arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in the abduction of a resident of the state, identified as Mr Hassan.

The suspects, identified as 24-year-old Victor Ifeanyi, alias “Big Boby”, and 36-year-old Aniekan Okon Michael, alias “Duff Man”, were arrested by operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU-AKU) following an intelligence-led operation.

According to a statement issued by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Agabe Blessing Kaborlo, the victim was abducted on September 6, 2026, around the vicinity of Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt.

The kidnappers reportedly took Hassan to Igbugulu Waterside, Borikiri, where he was held captive for three days.

The victim was eventually released after his relatives allegedly paid a ransom of ₦10.3 million to the abductors.

The police said it received credible information concerning the incident on September 7, 2026, prompting operatives of the VCRU-AKU to commence investigations and intelligence-led operations aimed at identifying those behind the abduction.

The operation subsequently led to the arrest of Ifeanyi and Michael, who the police described as suspected members of the kidnapping syndicate.

The Command said preliminary investigation revealed that the two suspects allegedly confessed to their involvement in the operation.

The suspects also reportedly disclosed that the gang consists of six members and that the syndicate used a white mini-bus, popularly known as a Keke bus, during the operation.

The police said efforts had been intensified to arrest the remaining members of the syndicate and bring them to justice.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State Command, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, urged members of the public to provide credible information that could assist the police in identifying and apprehending criminal elements in the state.

Adepoju assured residents that information supplied to the police would be treated with the necessary confidentiality.

He also reiterated the Command’s commitment to deploying intelligence-led operations to disrupt kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks operating across Rivers State.

The police boss urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies in the ongoing efforts to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.