Security operatives rescue abducted victim, hunt for 2 others in Enugu

Joint security operatives in Enugu State have rescued one out of the three people abducted by gunmen during an attack on a church in the Affa Community in Udi Local Council, while efforts have been intensified to rescue the other two victims.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, in a statement, said a joint team, comprising police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, swiftly launched a rescue operation after the victims were abducted at a local church in the Inoyi, Affa community in the early hours last Sunday.

The statement revealed that the operatives closed in on the fleeing suspects, forcing them to abandon one of the victims, who was rescued unhurt. The assailants, however, escaped with the other two victims.

The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Area Commander in Oji-River and the head of the Command’s Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) to intensify ongoing operations and deploy all available operational assets to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of the suspects.

He also ordered the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to generate actionable human and technical intelligence to support the operation, while the surveillance and technical capabilities of the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre have been activated to strengthen the rescue efforts.

The commissioner appealed to residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information that could aid the rescue operation, assuring them that every available resource was being deployed to rescue the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.