A member of a five-man kidnapping gang has been neutralised by a joint security team in Ihiala, Ihiala local government area of Anambra State.
The security team comprising personnel of the Nigerian Police, military and Ihiala vigilante also rescued a kidnap victim which the hoodlums were trying to escape with in a black shuttle bus with registration number RSH 255 MS.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Anambra State Police Command, Tochukwu Ikenga, superintendent of police, confirmed the incident, saying that it occurred on Monday night at Ihiala.
He said that the five-man gang were detected by the security team due to the suspicious manner they drove.
Ikenga explained that when the security team on patrol attempted to stop the hoodlums in their shuttle bus, they opened fire at the security team.
The Command’s spokesperson said one of the suspects was neutralised while four others escaped with severe bullet wounds in the gun battle that followed.
Ikenga further disclosed that the operatives discovered a blindfolded victim with tied hands and legs with the mouth gagged after the four members of the hoodlums escaped into a nearby bush, abandoning the bus.
He stressed that the victim was immediately rushed to a hospital by the security operatives where he was given first aid treatment.
Ikenga also added that the bus has been recovered and taken to police station while security team continued further operations to apprehend the fleeing hoodlums.
“In the light of this development, the Command urges all proprietors of private and public hospitals to admit, but report any individual presented with bullet wounds or injuries of a suspicious nature to the nearest police station.
“This measure is critical to the ongoing effort to apprehend the fleeing suspects and prevent further escalation of criminal activities in the state,” SP Ikenga said.
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