The Police Command in Delta State has apprehended seven suspected kidnappers at Ubeji Community in Warri South Local Government Area of the state.
The spokesman for the command, SP Bright Edafe, who disclosed this to newsmen on Friday in Warri, said that three male victims were rescued from the suspects’ custody.
Edafe stated that the suspects were arrested on Thursday by police operatives attached to the Ekpan Division in Uvwie Local Government Area.
He explained that the arrests followed credible information received by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the Ekpan Division, CSP Labe Joseph.
According to Edafe, the DPO received a distress report about a suspected kidnapping incident at Ubeji Community, behind the Ubeji Gas Plant.
‘Acting on the report, the DPO deployed a team of detectives and patrol operatives to the scene.
‘On sighting the police teams, the suspected kidnappers fled into an abandoned poultry within the same community.
‘The police team swiftly cordoned off the area, leading to the successful arrest of the seven suspects,’ he said.
Edafe said that the rescued victims had since been reunited with their families.
The police spokesman further stated that preliminary investigation revealed that the victims were abducted at a dredging site in Ubeji and ferried across the river.
He said that the suspects immediately contacted the victims’ families and threatened to kill them if certain demands were not met.
Edafe added that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the other fleeing members of the gang.