Police rescue kidnap victim in Rivers, recover suspects’ vehicle

Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have rescued a kidnap victim, Madabuchi Julius, and recovered the suspects’ operational vehicle following a gun duel in Oyigbo.

Julius was abducted on November 17, 2014, by a gang of four armed men at Sabbath Filling Station, Oyigbo, who used a black Toyota Corolla with registration number Rivers PHC 938 AH for the operation.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said in a statement yesterday that swift action by police operatives led to a chase that ended in a confrontation along Egbu Street, Oyigbo. The suspects, unable to withstand police firepower, abandoned their vehicle and fled, leaving Julius unharmed.

“Operatives were swiftly mobilised to the scene. The hoodlums, on sighting the police, drove off but were pursued and intercepted along Egbu Street, Oyigbo. A gun duel ensued, during which the suspects abandoned their operational vehicle and the victim and escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt, and the vehicle recovered,” Iringe-Koko said.

In a related development, police arrested Gabriel Morris on November 18, 2014, a 25-year-old suspected member of a syndicate linked to criminal activities in Oyigbo. A locally-made pistol and suspected Indian hemp were reportedly recovered from him.

Iringe-Koko said the arrest and rescue operation were part of the command’s broader efforts to combat kidnapping and other crimes in the state, adding that investigations are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing suspects.