The Enugu State Police Command has announced the rescue of 28 individuals who had been abducted across various locations in the state.
Ten suspected kidnappers were also apprehended during a series of coordinated operations.
Commissioner of Police, Mamman Giwa, made this known in a statement released through the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, on Tuesday.
He said the operations were part of ongoing efforts to eliminate violent criminal activities across the state.
Giwa disclosed that the raids, conducted in partnership with Neighbourhood Watch groups, Forest Guards, and local residents, also led to the recovery of weapons, ammunition, cash, motorcycles, and vehicles believed to have been used by the suspects.
In one of the operations, officers from the Umumba Division, supported by local security groups, rescued four hostages — two men and two women — who had been taken along the Umumba-Ndiuno-Aguoba Road in Ezeagu Local Government Area.
Four men believed to be responsible for the abduction were arrested and are currently being interrogated.
In a separate development, operatives from the 9th Mile Police Division responded swiftly to a distress call and rescued an unidentified male suspect from a lynch mob.
The suspect, along with three others, had attempted to abduct a woman who managed to raise an alarm. The suspect was beaten by the mob before police intervened.
He was taken to the hospital and remains under investigation.
Another rescue effort took place on May 17, when police from the Okpuje Division, working alongside local vigilante groups, combed a forest along the Enugu-Kogi border.
Two men were caught with cash — ₦150,000 and ₦70,000 — believed to be meant for ransom payments, as well as food items demanded by the kidnappers. During the raid, police engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle, forcing them to flee.
The hostages were rescued unharmed, and officers recovered a pump-action rifle and two live cartridges from the scene.
Earlier on May 14, officers from the Igbo-Eze North Division, with support from the military and local vigilante units, rescued 21 individuals held captive in Amaka-Okpodu, a border community in Kogi State.
The victims were abducted days earlier along the Iyionu-Aguibeje Road after attending a traditional wedding.
Based on intelligence reports, five suspects were arrested, and three firearms were seized. A minibus and four motorcycles used by the abductees before their capture were also recovered.
On May 13, at around 9:45 p.m., the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad rescued another abducted victim along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway. The victim’s Toyota Camry was retrieved, along with two other vehicles — a white Toyota Corolla (registration number ENU 703 LP) and a Lexus 330 SUV — which the suspects abandoned during their escape.
Commending the personnel involved, Commissioner Giwa praised the commitment of security forces and community members who contributed to the success of the operations. He reiterated the Command’s resolve to rid Enugu State of criminal elements.
He also urged residents to stay law-abiding, remain vigilant, and continue cooperating with law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime.
