The Rivers State Police Command has linked the recent surge in kidnappings along the state’s waterways to the reduction in illegal oil bunkering activities.

The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, stated that criminal elements, previously engaged in oil theft, have shifted their focus to kidnapping due to the loss of revenue from their illicit trade.

Speaking during a meeting with stakeholders of Bonny Local Council and service commanders in the state, Adepoju, who represented the Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd), said security agencies are working together to curb the menace.

“We notice that since the illegal bunkering has been reduced to the barest, they don’t have any business again; they are going into kidnapping. We have upped our game. I can assure you that it will be a thing of the past,” Adepoju said.

The police chief emphasised the importance of community involvement in combating kidnapping, urging residents to provide credible information to security agencies.

“If we send operatives to this area and they do not know the terrain, and you do not want to work with them, they cannot achieve results. Oftentimes, you say you need security, but you are the security. Without you, there cannot be security,” Adepoju said.

He called on stakeholders to collaborate with law enforcement, adding, “You will tell them how you want your area to be policed, give them credible information.”

You have to mention names of people committing these crimes to security agencies. If you don’t talk, the security operatives will not be able to do anything. That is why working together is very important.”

Adepoju also praised the King of Bonny for his support and urged the community to back the monarch’s initiatives, reiterating that security is a collective responsibility.

Highlighting recent police successes, Adepoju revealed that operatives had apprehended a notorious kidnapper and his gang, who operated on the waterways and were traced to Bayelsa State.

“Kidnapping is not what we will discuss here. We are very careful about the kidnapping issue because if you go too hard, they may kill the victim. But at the time they are doing that, we try to see how we can get them. We have been arresting them,” he said.

Representatives of the Nigerian Army 6 Division garrison, the Nigerian Navy Ship Pathfinder, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigerian Air Force attended the meeting.