In a major breakthrough in the battle against kidnapping and violent crimes, the Enugu State Police Command has dismantled a notorious kidnap syndicate, arresting five suspects and killing one during a series of coordinated sting operations across the state.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed in a statement on Thursday that the intelligence-led operations, carried out between July 5 and 16, 2025, led to the recovery of an AK-47 rifle with two live rounds of ammunition, ₦10 million in ransom cash, a Toyota Corolla vehicle, and other incriminating evidence. A kidnapped victim was also successfully rescued.
On July 16, 2025, operatives attached to the Okpuje Police Division, in synergy with Neighbourhood Watch operatives, Forest Guards, and local hunters, responded to a distress call about suspected armed kidnappers sighted in a forest near Okpuje-Ani, Nsukka Local Government Area.
Upon arrival, the security team was ambushed by the suspects, resulting in a fierce gun duel. One of the kidnappers was fatally shot, while others managed to escape into the forest. An AK-47 rifle with live ammunition was recovered from the neutralised suspect.
In a separate operation the same day, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested a 23-year-old suspect, Aliyu Adamu, at Ugwu-Onyeama, along the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway.
Shockingly, during interrogation, Adamu confessed to having been recruited from Awka, Anambra State, by another suspect still at large, to carry out a series of kidnapping operations in Enugu. He admitted his involvement in several abductions, adding that Enugu had become a “target zone” for the gang’s activities.
In another dramatic twist, on July 15, 2025, the Command’s Anti-Cultism Tactical Squad arrested two female suspects—Juliet Chukwu (39) and Nancy Chukwu (40)—during an intelligence-driven operation.
The sisters, who falsely claimed to be law enforcement officers, were caught red-handed splitting ₦10 million in ransom money extorted from their own relative. The victim was kidnapped on July 14 after they had initially demanded ₦50 million. He was later rescued unharmed, while operatives recovered the ransom money and a Toyota Corolla used in the crime.
The string of successes began on July 5, 2025, when officers of the Anti-Kidnapping Tactical Squad arrested two men—Usman Musa (20) and Musa Zaria (24)—both from Kogi State, at Okemmou, 9th Mile Corner in Udi LGA.
The suspects were found with clothing and a wristwatch belonging to two male victims kidnapped a day earlier, on July 4. The victims later identified both suspects and the recovered items, linking them directly to their abduction.
The Enugu State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, lauded his operatives for their courage, precision, and swift response in confronting armed criminals.
He assured the public of the Command’s relentless commitment to ridding the state of criminal elements, pledging that the arrested suspects will be prosecuted without delay once investigations are concluded.
Efforts are ongoing to track down the remaining members of the gang still at large.
This crackdown by the Enugu Police Command sends a strong message to criminal syndicates that the era of unchecked kidnapping is nearing its end in the state.
PIONEER NEWS 