The Rivers State Police Command on Saturday paraded nine persons involved in kidnapping of persons for ransom in different parts of the state.
Briefing journalists, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Nnamdi Omoni, said the suspects were arrested by officers in the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Command led by CSP Edward Shadare.
One of the suspects paraded was 22-year-old Bright Williams, the leader of the gang who specialised in using offer of a fake job vacancy on Facebook to lure victims.
READ ALSO: Videos: How 2 kidnappers confessed their involvement in series of kidnapping activities in Ekiti
The gang was smashed when a member lured one Adele Emmanuel from Delta State to Port Harcourt for a job and he was held hostage in a hotel at Obeama, Oyigbo Local Government Area of the State.
SP Omoni said members of the gang were arrested when Police operatives based on intelligence, stormed the hotel and rescued the victim.
Williams, the Director of the hotel and a female staff were also arrested during the raid.
Speaking to journalist, Emmanuel said he was lured from Delta State to come and accept a job of a Secretary that was advertised online.
He disclosed that on arrival in Port Harcourt on November 21, 2021, he was kidnapped by his supposed prospective employers, stripped him naked and a video was made and sent to his family demanding USD20,000 ransom before he was rescued by the police.
But Williams claimed Emmanuel was not invited for a job, but he contacted them through a homosexual hook up site demanding to be linked to a homosexual.
He, however agreed that they should video him with the intention of extorting the said ransom from his family.
Williams also exonerated the director of the hotel and the female staff of any complicity in the crime.
The director of the hotel also disclosed that the alleged victim and the suspects came to the hotel to drink and had not lodged in the hotel before the police raid.
SP Omoni also disclosed that men of Anti-kidnapping unit working on credible intelligence also arrested Julius Amadi Iyaknayene and Gift Frank in connection with kidnap of one Williams Etuk on September 11, 2021 along Igbo-Etche road in Rivers by four armed men.
The Toyota Highlander SUV the alleged kidnappers took from their victim was recovered by the Police.
“In the bid to solve two separate kidnap cases, men of the Anti-kidnapping Unit, working on credible information, arrested the trio of Gift Frank ‘f’, Julius Amadi ‘m’ 37years aka Juju and lyaknayene Udo Philips ‘m’ 32yrs,” the police said.
“They were arrested in connection with the kidnap of one Williams Etuk who was kidnapped on 11/9/2021 along Igbo-Etche road by four armed men.
The kidnappers took the victim’s car after his abduction, but the said car was recovered by the Police at Ukwa in Akwa Ibom State, including one locally made shot gun.
“One of the suspects Julius Amadi (aka Juju), confessed to be a member of the syndicate that kidnapped and killed the Late Army Captain whose decomposing body was recovered at Igbo-Etche Road, sometime last month.”
However, Gift, the wife of Ahie Frank, who was arrested for participating in alleged kidnap of the late retired Army Captain told Journalists she did not know her husband was into kidnapping.
She noted that she wanted to sell the Toyota Highlander SUV to enable her pay somebody that offered to assist her get her husband out of Police net,unknown to her that the Vehicle her husband has been using was stolen.
Mrs Gift Frank, the wife of Ahie Frank says she didn’t know her husband was a kidnapper and took part in alleged kidnap of the late retired Army Captain.
Mrs Gift Frank, the wife of Ahie Frank says she didn’t know her husband was a kidnapper and took part in alleged kidnap of the late retired Army Captain.
In a related development, the duo of John Ifeanyi aged 23 and Orji Ndukwu aged 24 were arrested for allegedly kidnapping of One Michael Oladipo, 42 years, on October, 3, 2021 at Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers.
SP Omoni further disclosed that the suspects were arrested at Boki in Cross Rivers State and the Toyota Lexus SUV belonging to the victim was recovered.
According to the Police, “at about 4.30 pm on November 21,2021, there was a reported case of the Kidnap of one Olaide Oluwaseun, which incident occurred along the Abacha Road, where the victim was abducted and taken to unknown destination.
“In the course of investigation, operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Unit worked on some clues which led to the arrest of Precious Amadi 27 years and Williams Okon, 20 years who took the Police to their camp at Obeama in Oyigbo Local Government of Rivers where the victim was rescued unhurt on 24/11/2021.”
The victim immediately debriefed by the Police before he was released to reunite with his family.
The Police said the suspects have confessed to the crime, while efforts are on to arrest others and recover their operational weapons.
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