Police rescue kidnap victim in Rivers and recover suspects’ car – Nigeria – The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News

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

Julius was kidnapped on November 17, 2014 by a gang of four armed men at the Sabbat petrol station in Oyigbo, who used a black Toyota Corolla with registration number Rivers PHC 938 AH in the operation.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said in a statement yesterday that the swift action of the police officers led to a chase that ended in a confrontation at Egbu Road, Oyigbo. The suspects, unable to withstand police firepower, abandoned the car and fled, leaving Julius unharmed.

“Officers were quickly mobilized to the scene. The hoodlums left when they saw the police but were chased and intercepted at Egbu Road in Oyigbo. A shootout ensued, during which the suspects abandoned their operational vehicle and the victim and fled. The victim was rescued unharmed and the vehicle was recovered,” Iringe-Koko said.

In a similar development, on November 18, 2014, the police arrested Gabriel Morris, 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 was part of the command’s wider efforts to combat kidnapping and other crimes in the state, adding that investigations into apprehending the fleeing suspects were ongoing.