A Police Anti-Crime Squad of the Anambra State Police Command has rescued four men abducted by dare-devil kidnappers on Friday, March 8, 2024.
The Police team, while on patrol and snap checks with a team of local vigilantes, intercepted the kidnappers along Amagu-Awgbu Road in Orumba North local government area of the State as the hoodlums were fleeing from the State.
The suspects had on sighting the Police team opened fire and shooting sporadically, apparently to scare away the security operatives so as to make way for their possible escape, but the combat-ready Police-Vigilantes team returned superior firepower.
The security team succeeded in demobilising two of the three vehicles the gang operated with while some of members of the gang escaped with the third vehicle, while other gangsters whose vehicles were demobilised fled into the bush on foot with bullet wounds.
The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ikenga Tochukwu, who confirmed the incident, stated that one Pump Action Gun was recovered during the encounter.
Also recovered were two SUVs – one 2017 edition of Toyota Highlander with Reg. No. Abuja GWA 141 KZ and one Mercedes Benz GLK 350 4Matic with Registration Number Anambra AGU 242 NQ.
The State Police Command ‘s spokesman stated that the number plates on the Mercedes Benz SUV recovered from the hoodlums were issued to a Toyota Sienna Spacewagon vehicle.
He stated that the four abducted victims were rescued unhurt during the operation.
He further stated that preliminary debriefing to ascertain circumstances of their abduction was ongoing.
The PPRO said that the State’s Commissioner of Police, CP Aderemi Adeoye, who described the rescue of the abductees as heroic, has commended the effective collaboration between Police and Vigilantes across the State.
DSP Tochukwu stated further that CP Adeoye emphasised that once the protection of the citizenry is the focus, Police would work seamlessly with all relevant stakeholders to eradicate all vestiges of threat that may be confronting the people.
The Commissioner of Police, he further said, has directed that the case be transfered to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Police Command at Awkuzu.
The State Police boss, according to the Police spokesman, has mandated the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the Police Command to deploy its expertise in tracking down the gang members who escaped the onslaught at Awgbu and ensure that they are made to face justice.
