Enugu: Police rescue three kidnap victim

Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have rescued three victims of abduction and recovered two firearms, ammunition and other exhibits after a hot pursuit of suspected kidnappers in the state.

The operation, according to the command, also led to the recovery of a Lexus RX350 belonging to the victims.

The spokesman for the police in Enugu, Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, said the operation was carried out by operatives of the Anti-Cultism Sub-Unit of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), with support from members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group and community members.

Ndukwe said the operatives received credible information at about 1:30 a.m. on August 18, 2026, while on crime-prevention patrol along the Port Harcourt Expressway, Enugu, concerning the carjacking and abduction of occupants of a Lexus RX350 by armed hoodlums in Independence Layout.

He said the operatives immediately commenced a hot pursuit of the suspects, which continued to Hillview Road, Independence Layout.

According to him, the suspects, on reaching the area, abandoned the vehicle and their firearms before fleeing the scene.

He said the three victims were subsequently rescued unharmed and taken to safety with the assistance of members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group and other law-abiding citizens.

Items recovered from the scene, according to the police, included the victims’ Lexus RX350, a locally fabricated Beretta-like pistol loaded with five rounds of 9mm live ammunition, a locally made cut-to-size firearm and one live cartridge.

Other exhibits recovered were a pair of hand gloves, one ski mask and a mobile phone.

Ndukwe said investigations had been intensified, while a manhunt had been launched to identify and arrest the fleeing suspects, recover further exhibits and establish their involvement in the crime.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, commended the operatives, members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group and vigilant citizens for their swift and coordinated response.

Giwa reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led and community-supported operations against kidnapping, armed robbery, car snatching and other violent crimes.

He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide the police with timely and credible information that could assist in preventing and combating crime in the state.