The Enugu State Police Command has arrested 14 male suspects allegedly linked to multiple kidnapping operations and a murder case across the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing at the command headquarters in the GRA area of Enugu.
Giwa said the arrests followed a series of intelligence-led operations by the command and other security agencies targeting kidnapping syndicates operating across state boundaries.
According to him, the operations also led to the rescue of several kidnapped victims, the arrest and neutralisation of suspected kidnappers, and the recovery of firearms, ammunition, ransom money and other incriminating exhibits.
The Commissioner said one of the victims abducted from a church at Inoyi, Affa Community, in Udi Local Government Area, was rescued on August 2, 2026.
He added that subsequent joint operations led to the rescue of the remaining two victims, the arrest of three suspects, the neutralisation of another suspect, and the recovery of ransom money, firearms and ammunition.
Giwa disclosed that two additional suspects linked to the Affa church kidnapping were later traced to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where they had fled following the security operation.
He said the two suspects were arrested by operatives of the command’s Anti-Kidnapping Violent Crime Response Unit (AK-VCRU) and brought back to Enugu.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that, after fleeing Enugu, the suspects regrouped with their cohorts in Port Harcourt and abducted another victim, who was released after a ransom of ₦5 million was paid,” the Commissioner said.
The command also arrested 12 other suspects between June and August 2026 through human and technical intelligence-led operations in Abuja, Enugu, Kogi, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kwara and Taraba states.
Giwa said preliminary investigations showed that the suspects belonged to an organised criminal network operating from different parts of the country.
He explained that members of the network allegedly converged in Enugu to plan and execute kidnapping operations before returning to their respective locations.
The Commissioner said an Enugu-based member of the syndicate allegedly provided transportation for gang members, firearms and other criminal implements using a tricycle, while another member supplied intelligence that helped the gang evade security surveillance and identify potential victims and operational locations.
According to him, the suspects have confessed to involvement in several recent and past kidnapping incidents along major routes and communities in Enugu State.
These include the Enugu–Ugwuogo–Opi–Nsukka Road; Obioma–9th Mile–Umulumgbe–Okpatu Road; Eke–Affa–Egede–Ezinze axis; and several locations in Ezeagu Local Government Area.
The police said investigations had specifically linked the suspects to the abduction of a male victim at Mgbabuowa/Aguobuowa, Ezeagu LGA, on May 25, 2026, during which ₦5.5 million was allegedly collected as ransom.
They were also linked to the May 9, 2026, abduction of two male victims and the shooting and killing of a female victim at Obioma, Udi LGA. The gang allegedly collected $28,700 as ransom in that incident.
The suspects were further linked to the abduction of two male victims along the Eke–Ezinze Road, Udi LGA, on April 10, 2026, for which $70,000 was allegedly paid as ransom.
Another incident involved the kidnapping of seven victims at Obinaofia, Ezeagu LGA, on April 12, 2026, during which the gang allegedly collected ₦25 million.
Giwa said the suspects had also disclosed other kidnapping incidents and ransom payments during interrogation.
The Commissioner further disclosed that investigations indicated that the suspects allegedly laundered and concealed proceeds from their criminal activities through investments in livestock and properties, lavish spending, conspicuous consumption and overseas leisure trips, including visits to neighbouring countries such as Cameroon.
Items recovered from the suspects include five AK-47 rifles, two pump-action guns, one locally fabricated firearm, 310 rounds of live 7.62 x 39mm ammunition, eight live cartridges and seven empty AK-47 magazines.
The police said investigations were ongoing to establish the suspects’ involvement in other kidnapping and violent-crime cases within and outside Enugu State, identify other members of the syndicate and recover additional firearms, ammunition and criminal proceeds.
The suspects will be charged to court upon completion of investigations, the Commissioner said.
Giwa attributed the arrests and recoveries to sustained intelligence gathering, ICT-enabled investigations, inter-agency collaboration, interstate cooperation and coordinated policing operations.
He assured residents of Enugu State that the command would sustain its offensive against kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, rape, cultism and other violent crimes.
The Commissioner also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious persons, movements and activities to the police, stressing that community support was critical to effective intelligence-led policing.
He commended Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, Enugu State Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah and other security agencies for their support and collaboration in the fight against crime in the state.