A female victim (names withheld) was on Sunday, October 12, rescued by operatives of Delta State Police Command, less than 24 hours after she was kidnapped from her residence.
Speaking on the rescue of the kidnap victim, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, said in a statement on Tuesday, October 14, that it followed the report of the incident by the woman’s husband.
According to the PPRO, the husband had made a call to the Divisional Police Officer, Ovian Aladja Police Station, that on the same date at about 2a.m., armed men broke into his apartment while he and his family members were asleep.
He told of how his household was attacked and robbed, after which kidnappers took his wife away.
Edafe said: “The DPO, CSP Friday Ekundayo, in a swift response, mobilised and led operatives of the division. He went after the kidnappers with a view to ensuring that the woman is rescued unhurt and the suspects arrested. They trailed the kidnappers to a forest along Iyara community.
“Following unrelenting effort from the DPO and his men, the kidnappers were forced to abandon the victim and escaped. The victim was rescued unhurt and has since been reunited with her family, while manhunt for the fleeing suspects is ongoing.”
The PPRO further disclosed that on the same day, at about 5a.m., operatives of the Command’s Crack Squad, while acting on credible intelligence about a suspected drug peddler, stormed a hideout at Effurun GRA and arrested one Igwe Samson, aged 33.
Found in the suspect’s Toyota Sienna vehicle were 450 bottles of CSP codeine, 188 bottles of bargadine, 208 sachets of Tramadol (100mg), 300 sachets of Swinol, 100 sachets of Tramadol (500mg), 50 sachets of Rohypnol, and a bag of weed suspected to be cannabis.
The suspect was arrested and taken into custody, the PPRO stated.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect had been in the business for about two years, and usually bought the drugs at Onitsha in Anambra State, preferring to travel at night so that he would not be caught easily.
Edafe said that efforts were ongoing to arrest his suppliers and receivers.
The Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, while commending the gallantry of the DPO and his men, urged youths to desist from drug abuse, which is also one of the main drivers of crime.
The CP also cautioned that drug abuse is detrimental to the health and well-being of abusers hence should be avoided.
