Police Close In on Six-Man Kidnap Gang After ₦10.3m Ransom Payment

The Rivers State Police Command says it has arrested two suspected members of a six-man kidnapping syndicate allegedly involved in the abduction of a resident in Port Harcourt. The Command’s spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, said in a statement on Monday that the victim was abducted on September 6, 2026, near Fidelity Bank, Garrison, Port Harcourt, and taken to Igbugulu Waterside in the Borikiri area, where he was held for three days. According to the police, the victim was released after his relatives paid ₦10.3 million in ransom. Following a distress call and intelligence gathered on the incident, operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit launched an operation that led to the arrest of two suspects. They were identified as 24-year-old Victor Ifeanyi, also known as “Big Boby”, from Aguleri in Anambra State, and 36-year-old Aniekan Okon Michael, also known as “Duff Man”, from Akwa Ibom State.

The police said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects confessed to alleged involvement in the operation and disclosed that the syndicate comprises six members who reportedly used a white mini-bus during the abduction. The Command said efforts had been intensified to arrest the remaining members of the group and bring them to justice. The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, urged residents to provide credible information that could assist security agencies in identifying and apprehending suspected criminals. He assured the public that information supplied to the police would be treated confidentially and said the Command would continue to deploy intelligence-led operations against kidnapping syndicates and other criminal networks across Rivers State. The police urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.

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