Enugu police parade 14 suspected kidnappers, recover weapons

The Enugu State Police Command on Friday paraded 14 suspected kidnappers allegedly linked to multiple abduction cases in Enugu and other states, including the Federal Capital Territory.

The suspects were presented to journalists on Friday at the command headquarters in Enugu by the Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, who said the arrests followed a series of intelligence-driven operations conducted between June and August 2026.

Among those paraded were two suspects allegedly connected to the August 2 abduction incident at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Affa, Udi Local Government Area. According to the police, the pair fled to Port Harcourt after security operatives intensified efforts to track down members of the gang.

Giwa disclosed that investigators later traced and arrested the suspects through operations carried out by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit (AK-VCRU).

“Further intelligence-led operations by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit (AK-VCRU) led to the arrest of two additional male suspects linked to the Affa Church kidnapping. Preliminary investigation reveals that, after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was released after a ransom of N5m was paid,” he said.

The police commissioner said the suspects were apprehended in Abuja as well as Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba states.

Investigations, he said, linked the suspects to several kidnapping incidents along major routes and communities in Enugu State, including the Enugu–Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road, Obioma–9th Mile–Umulumgbe–Okpatu Road, the Eke–Affa–Egede–Ezinze corridor and parts of Ezeagu Local Government Area.

According to Giwa, preliminary findings showed the gang was involved in a number of high-profile kidnappings in which millions of naira and thousands of dollars were allegedly collected as ransom from victims and their families.

The commissioner described the suspects as members of a coordinated criminal syndicate operating from different parts of the country. He explained that the group would enter Enugu to carry out operations before returning to their respective bases.

He further alleged that the syndicate relied on local collaborators, including individuals who provided transportation and intelligence used to identify targets and evade security surveillance.

Giwa also revealed that proceeds from the alleged criminal activities were invested in livestock, landed property and other ventures, while some members reportedly spent lavishly and travelled outside Nigeria.

He said investigations were still ongoing to uncover other crimes linked to the suspects, arrest additional members of the network and recover more weapons and criminal proceeds.

“Upon conclusion of investigation, the suspects will be charged to court in accordance with extant laws,” he said.

Items displayed by the police included five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally made firearm, 310 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, eight live cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.

The police commissioner attributed the breakthrough to improved intelligence gathering, technology-driven investigations, cooperation among security agencies and support from the Enugu State Government.

He commended Governor Peter Mbah, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, other security agencies and residents for their contributions to security efforts in the state.

One of the suspects also spoke to journalists, admitting involvement in kidnapping activities and claiming that his gang operated along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway, where they allegedly collected millions of naira in ransom payments before being arrested by security operatives.