Police in Akwa-Ibom nab 12 kidnap suspects, rescue 5 victims

UYO — Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested 12 kidnappers and invaded robbery and kidnapping dens in the state. The police also rescued about five persons held hostage, while their abductors were waiting to collect ransom.

State Police Commissioner, Mr. Solomon Arase, spoke while para-ding the kidnap suspects at the state Police headquarters in Uyo.

The suspects, some of whom had been on Police wanted list, were arre-sted at different loca-tions in the state.

Mr. Don Awunah, in charge of state CID, in a statement, said five members of a gang of kidnappers operating on two motorcycles, who kidnapped one Imo Edet Afia and his wife, Stella, were arrested by Police operatives while they were waiting to collect a ransom of N20 million.

He said the victims were rescued while a locally-made pistol, with five rounds of ammunition, was recovered from the gang.

Another gang of four kidnap suspects (names withheld) were arrested at Nnung Ukana, Ibesikpo Asutan by Police operatives and village youths. Two locally-made pistols, eight rounds of .9mm live ammunition and live cartridge were recovered from the suspects.

Also two suspects, who allegedly kidnapped one Mary Edeminam of Ikot Edor in Onna Local Government Area and Dr. Chris Uwa of Mid-Town Secondary School, Ikot Ekpene, were nab-bed by Police who had been in their trail for months.

One suspect (names withheld), said to be a final year student of Biochemistry at Univer-sity of Port Harcourt, was arrested in Calabar where he had been hiding. He was alleged to be a key member of a gang that kidnapped one Chief Ekong who had since regained freedom.

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By Tony Nyong 

-Vanguard