Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have apprehended three notorious kidnappers who have been terrorising travellers and motorists along the Port Harcourt-Owerri highway.

The suspects are said to be behind a series of armed robberies and abductions in the area, including the recent kidnapping of a National Youth Service Corps member.

The Rivers State Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Mohammed, disclosed this on Wednesday while parading the suspects and others before journalists in Port Harcourt.

Mohammed explained that the criminals were known for setting up illegal roadblocks at strategic points on the highway, where they ambushed motorists at gunpoint, abducted them, and demanded ransoms from their families.

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“The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended three notorious kidnap suspects following a series of highway robberies and kidnappings along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway.

“This arrest is part of an intensified crackdown on criminal activities along the route, which has been a hotspot for violent attacks on motorists,” the Commissioner said

The suspects were identified as 20-year-old Blessing Akpelu, also known as NTA; Precious Ebee, 30; and Wisdom Amadi, 28. All three are natives of Egbeda in the Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

According to Mohammed, the suspects have been under surveillance for some time due to an alarming spike in kidnappings, including the abduction of an NYSC member and two others along the Elele/Omerelu axis of the expressway.

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“The first two suspects were arrested on October 17, 2024, by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, while the third suspect, Wisdom Amadi, believed to be the gang leader, was apprehended at Egbeda on October 19, 2024,” Mohammed revealed.

The Commissioner added that the suspects confessed to the kidnappings and other related crimes. Their arrests were made possible through intelligence gathered by the police, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend their accomplices, retrieve their weapons, and dismantle their criminal network.

Mohammed assured the public that the command remains committed to ensuring the safety of all road users along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway, urging citizens to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the nearest police station.

In a separate development, the police also arrested a suspected armed robber involved in an attack on a female corps member, during which her iPhone was stolen.

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“In the same operation, we arrested one Baridam Berebom from Mogho in Gokana Local Government Area. He was found with an SMG rifle, which he and his gang used to rob a female NYSC member of her iPhone 12,” the Commissioner said.

He explained that the police responded swiftly to a distress call and, following a hot pursuit, arrested Berebom, while other members of his gang managed to escape. The stolen phone and the rifle used in the robbery were recovered.

Mohammed reassured the public that the police are actively pursuing the remaining members of the gang, urging citizens to continue providing timely and credible information.