Police rescue woman after four weeks in kidnappers’ den
The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman who spent nearly four weeks in captivity after being abducted from her shop in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Esther Chinedu, an indigene of Ebonyi State who runs a phone and accessories business in the community, was abducted on July 28 after suspected kidnappers allegedly entered her shop posing as customers.
Nathan Tamarapreye, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman who spent nearly four weeks in captivity after being abducted from her shop in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Esther Chinedu, an indigene of Ebonyi State who runs a phone and accessories business in the community, was abducted on July 28 after suspected kidnappers allegedly entered her shop posing as customers.
The Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, disclosed the rescue on Sunday while briefing journalists on the operation, saying the woman was found unhurt at a kidnappers’ hideout in Ogobiri Forest, Southern Ijaw.
He said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, carried out the operation with support from personnel of the Federal Criminal Investigation Unit and the Marine Department.
According to the commissioner, the command received a distress call at about 7pm on the day of the abduction and immediately activated its intelligence network to trace the kidnappers and locate their victim.
Digital and community-based intelligence, he said, enabled the police to track the gang’s movements and gather information about negotiations between the kidnappers and Chinedu’s family.
The gang initially demanded N100 million in ransom before reducing the amount to N20 million, Adewale said. The kidnappers also allegedly collected N1.5 million from the woman’s husband, describing the money as being for “refreshments”.
As the investigation progressed, VCRU operatives relocated to the Ogobiri axis, where they spent five days conducting surveillance and monitoring the suspected kidnappers before moving against the hideout.
The police stormed the camp at about 1.45am, rescued Chinedu and arrested one of the suspected kidnappers, identified as 33-year-old Mark from Akemfa 1 Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area.
Adewale said the suspect confessed to taking part in the abduction and provided investigators with information about the gang’s activities.
He said the suspects had allegedly visited Chinedu’s shop under the pretence of wanting to buy foam, using the visit to study the environment before abducting her.
“They surveyed the environment and saw that the woman was not sufficiently protected,” the commissioner said.
The suspects allegedly forced Chinedu into a vehicle and took her to the riverside, from where she was transported by boat across the river to the forest hideout.
Adewale praised the officers involved in the operation, particularly those who worked through difficult riverine terrain to locate the camp and secure the woman’s release.
He said the command would sustain intelligence-led operations against kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state.
