Rivers police kill three kidnap suspects in gun duel

Security operatives attached to the Rivers State Police Command have killed three kidnap suspect who engaged them in a fierce gun battle while attempting to abduct one Richard Otu.

The kidnappers had trailed Otu to his residence and stopped him at the gate of his house located along East-West Road in Port Harcourt.

But a group of policemen, who were acting on a tip-off, raced to the place and began to shoot at the kidnappers in a bid to stop them from taking Otu away, even as the hoodlums returned the fire.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ahmad Mohammad, disclosed that at the end of the gun battle, three suspected kidnappers had been gunned down.

Mohammad explained that the victim (Otu) was rescued while a Toyota Highlander vehicle belonging to him was recovered.

He also disclosed that one AK-47, one rifle, one magazine, five 7.62mm live ammunition, one locally made pistol and one Dane gun were recovered from the hoodlums.

“On 06/07/2015 (Monday) at about 9:30pm, policemen who were responding to a distress call, pursued and engaged suspected kidnappers, who abducted one Richard Otu in his Toyata Highlander jeep while entering his house along East-West road, Port Harcourt.

“Three of the suspected kidnappers were killed during the encounter, while the victim and his vehicle were safely rescued,” the state police spokesman said.

He also disclosed that security operatives on Tuesday arrested a member of an armed robbery gang around Mini-Okoro axis of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, adding that two members of the gang escaped.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mohammad added that a Toyota Highlander that was used for operation by the gang, arms and ammunition were recovered by the police.

“The operation also yielded in the recovery of a Toyota Highlander used by the gang, two AK 47 rifles, four magazines, 92 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition and money to the tune of 2,350,000 (two million, three hundred and fifty thousand Naira),” he said.

He stated that an investigation into the incident was ongoing with a view to arresting the fleeing members of the armed robbery gang.