Police arrest 10 suspected kidnappers in Rivers, damage hideouts

No fewer than 10 suspected kidnappers have reportedly been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command during a raid of a criminal camp in Igwuruta, Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state.

The police command stated that the suspects were arrested on Saturday after Olatunji Disu, the Commissioner of Police, led police officers to the bushes where suspected kidnappers’ hideouts were destroyed.

The CP was accompanied to the bushes by Adepoju Olugbenga, the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Operations, area commanders, heads of tactical units, divisional police officers, and other officers of the command.

According to Olugbenga, the command was disturbed by the recent activities of suspected abductors terrorising the Obiri-Ikwerre-Airport Road axis near the state capital, who kidnapped innocent people and took them to their hideouts.

“It is a routine exercise. We normally go on a show of strength once or twice weekly, and we mostly patrol vulnerable points where we feel we are having issues with hoodlums trying to disturb the peace of the state.

“You would have observed that within these few days, there have been issues of hoodlums trying to waylay people going to the airport. We have deployed a lot of operatives in that axis, and as part of our routine, as directed by the Commissioner of Police to ensure that the state is free of crime and criminality, we have to move in there.

“So, we combed the area with the Commissioner of Police in the early hours of this morning (Saturday), and we have arrested some people who were hibernating in that area, about 10 of them. We equally have some camps where they have shanties with people resting; many of them have left the place,” he added.