22nd September, 2022
Operatives of Enugu Police Command have rescued 10 kidnap victims from a forest at Okpatu Community in the Udi Local Government Area of the State within two days.
Enugu police command’s Spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said this in a statement issued on Thursday.
|The first set of kidnap victims rescued from the forest were kidnapped at Umulumgbe Community in the same Udi council area on Sept. 15. T
hey were rescued a day after they were abducted by police operatives serving at 9th Mile Police Division with assistance of a Neighborhood Watch Group.
Also, six other victims abducted from Awhum Community in Udi council area on September 12 were rescued on Sept. 14
The 10 victims rescued from the forest were among the 12 kidnap victims rescued by the police in Enugu within one-week.
The Police spokesperson said, “Police operatives in Unity Division, on Sept. 21 at about 7:10p.m., responded to a distress call that suspected kidnappers blocked the road between Ekwegbe-Agu and Neke-Uno communities in Enugu East and Igbo-Etiti council areas on the Enugu-Opi-Nsukka Highway.
“The police operatives foiled their attempt to kidnap some road users after a gun duel.
“Thereafter, they rescued two male victims, who were on the verge of being kidnapped, and recovered their vehicles,” Ndukwe stated.
He also stated that at about 5:30p.m. on Sept.16, operatives serving at 9th Mile Police Division with assistance from Neighborhood Watch Group and Forest Guard rescued four victims in a forest at Okpatu Community in Udi council area.
The statement explained that the four rescued victims were said to have been kidnapped at Umulumgbe Community in the same council area at about 4p.m. on Sept. 15.
“This is in addition to their rescuing six other victims in the same forest at about 4:15p.m., on Sept. 14,” the statement added.
It stated that the victims were reportedly kidnapped on Sept.12 at Awhum Community in Udi council area.
Ndukwe stated that all the rescued persons had been re-united with their families.
He also stated that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Ahmed Ammani, had ordered the immediate deployment of more intelligence/operational resources to further contain emerging incidents of kidnapping in some parts of the state, particularly on the Enugu-Opi-Nsukka Road.
“This is to ensure the security and safety of lives and property of innocent citizens, especially along major roads in the state,” he added.
According to him, the state police boss has appealed to residents of the state to assist the command with prompt and credible information that will help in serving them better.
He stated that the command could be reached on the following emergency hotlines: 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202 or Police PPRO on 08099854883.
He added that information could be sent to the command via: [email protected].
He gave assurance that such vital information would be treated with utmost confidentiality and dispatch. (NAN)
KSN/USO