Operatives of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested four suspected kidnappers allegedly responsible for a series of abductions in Ikwerre and Etche Local Government Areas of the state.

The command stated that the suspects were apprehended following a discreet investigation into the abduction of a woman on February 25, 2026. The victim was later released on March 2 after her family reportedly paid a ransom of ₦3 million.

The police disclosed that the suspects were eventually arrested by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit along Ipo/Ozaha Farm Road while they were allegedly planning another kidnapping operation.

The spokesperson for the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Monday.

According to her, the suspects include Usman Dan-Mama, 20, from Mubi in Adamawa State; Abdullahi Kabir, 27, from Damaturu in Yobe State; Idris Ismaila, 20, from Taraba State; and Mohammed Dalandi, 22, also from Yobe State.

Iringe-Koko said the suspects also confessed to previous kidnapping operations in the state, including the abduction of an engineer, Engr. Okoro Osita, and his friend along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road on February 12, 2026.

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The victims were reportedly released after their families paid ₦3 million as ransom.

She added that the suspects also admitted abducting Sympathy Agu of Umuka-Mba in Etche and Chioma Njoku of Obiri in Etche on January 31, 2026, along Afara/Egwi Road. The victims were similarly released after ransom payments.

The police spokesperson said a search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of a locally made pistol, a cut-to-size single-barrel gun and 20 live cartridges.

She added that efforts were ongoing to arrest other members of the criminal syndicate who are still at large.

Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju, commended the operatives for the breakthrough and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property in the state.

He also urged members of the public to continue providing credible information to assist the police in tackling crime across Rivers State.