The Enugu State Police Command has paraded 14 suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate allegedly linked to several abduction cases and a murder in the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday at the command headquarters in Enugu.
Giwa said the suspects were arrested during intelligence-led operations carried out across different states.
He said the operations resulted in the recovery of five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally made firearm, 310 rounds of 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.
According to the police commissioner, two of the suspects allegedly involved in the abduction of worshippers at a church in Inoyi, Affa community, Udi Local Government Area, escaped to Port Harcourt, where they were later arrested.
He said investigations showed that the suspects regrouped with other members of the gang in Port Harcourt and kidnapped another victim, who was released after a ransom of N5 million was paid.
Giwa said the 14 suspects were part of a wider criminal network operating across several parts of the country. He explained that members of the group reportedly converged in Enugu to plan and carry out kidnapping operations before returning to their various locations.
The police commissioner said the suspects had confessed to involvement in several kidnapping incidents along the Enugu-Ugwuogo-Opi-Nsukka Road, Obioma-9th Mile-Umulumgbe-Ukpatu axis, Eke-Affa-Egede-Ezinze axis and other areas of Ezeagu Local Government Area.
He said the gang was allegedly responsible for the abduction of a man at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa in Ezeagu on May 25, 2026, for which N5.5 million was reportedly collected as ransom.
Giwa added that the suspects were also linked to the May 9 abduction of two men at Obioma, Udi, where a woman was allegedly shot dead. He said $28,700 was reportedly paid as ransom in the incident.
The suspects were further linked to the April 10 abduction of two people along the Eke-Ezinze Road in Udi, for which $70,000 was allegedly paid.
The police also linked the gang to the kidnapping of seven people at Obinaofia, Ezeagu, on April 12, during which N25 million was reportedly collected as ransom.
Giwa said investigations showed that proceeds from the alleged criminal activities were invested in livestock and properties, while some of the suspects allegedly spent the money on luxury items and overseas trips.
He described the arrests and recovery of weapons as evidence of the effectiveness of intelligence gathering, technology-driven investigations, cooperation among security agencies and coordinated operations across states.
The commissioner said investigations were ongoing to identify other members of the syndicate, recover additional weapons and proceeds of crime, and determine the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent crime cases within and outside Enugu State.
He assured residents that the command would sustain its operations against kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, cultism and other violent crimes.
Giwa also urged residents to remain vigilant and provide the police with timely information about suspicious persons, movements and activities.
He commended the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Enugu State Governor, Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, and other security agencies for their support and cooperation in tackling crime in the state.
