The Rivers State Police Command said its men killed six suspected kidnappers during a shootout at Obelle community, in the Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
gathered that the gang members, led by one Uchechukwu Daniel, opened fire on men of the anti-cultism unit, who stormed their hideout.
However, the cops reportedly returned fire, killing six of the suspects and arresting six others.
The state Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the police headquarters, Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, on Friday
He, however, said aside from those gunned down, some of the miscreants escaped with bullet wounds.
In another case, the CP said operatives on patrol along the King Perekule Junction, GRA, Port Harcourt, intercepted and rescued some kidnap victims.
“On Friday, June 30, around 1000hrs, while on metro patrol along King Perekule Street, GRA, following a tip-off, operatives intercepted and rescued victims of a kidnap case reported to the command.
“The victims narrated that one of their friends was kidnapped and taken away by hoodlums, who were operating in a carton colour Lexus RX 350 after shooting at their vehicle’s tyre.
“Pieces of 7.2 empty shell and a Techno phone belonging to the victim were also recovered,” Nwonyi stated.
The police boss further disclosed that following credible information, operatives trailed some suspected kidnappers to their hideout at Ozuoha, in Ikwerre LGA, where a victim was rescued unhurt, while one of the suspects, Buchi David, 20, was arrested.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Khana LGA, Dr Thomas Bari-Ere, while briefing newsmen, narrated how men of the Bori division while acting on a tip-off, stormed a suspected kidnappers’ camp and recovered a human skull, a pump-action rifle and two AK-47 rifles.
He said, “We received intelligence that one of the suspects in police custody by the name of Ojukwu has a place where he stores his arms as well as human skulls.
“He uses them to administer oaths to his victims for them to keep his identity secret.
“So, we alerted security operatives; the Bori Police Division, alongside the anti-cultism unit, acted swiftly. The operation was successful. Two AK-47 rifles, a human skull and a pump action were recovered.”
