The Rivers State Police Command has apprehended three men suspected of kidnapping travellers along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Road.
These arrests come amid increasing efforts to tackle rising criminal activities in the area, which has become notorious for violent attacks on motorists.
The suspects, identified as Blessing Akpelu (28), Wisdom Amadi (28), and Precious Ebee (30), are all natives of Egbeda in Emohua Local Government Area.
They allegedly abducted a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member and orchestrated several armed robberies on the busy highway.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Harcourt, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mustapha Bala, revealed that the suspects had been under surveillance following a spike in kidnappings and violent crimes, particularly on the Elele-Omerelu stretch of the road.
Bala stated that Akpelu and Ebee were arrested on October 17, while the gang leader, Amadi, was captured two days later in Egbeda.
“The suspects set up illegal roadblocks to trap travellers, robbing them and holding some for ransom,” Bala explained. He added that the men had confessed to their crimes and were assisting the police in tracking other members of their gang.
Police efforts are now focused on recovering the group’s weapons and dismantling their criminal network.
