By Joe Ekel
A man
identified as Abubakar Usman,
a notorious kidnap suspect wanted by security agencies, has been arrested after
a fierce gun battle in a forest hideout in Delta State.
The operation was
carried out by the Delta State
SafeCity Security Service in collaboration with the
Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Delta State Police Command, bringing to an end an
intense manhunt linked to several kidnapping cases across the state.
The breakthrough came
after the abduction of Mrs Blessing Chiedu, an indigene of Umunede Kingdom, who
was kidnapped on 2 July 2026 along Ani-Ifekide Farm Road in
Ubulu-Uku. Her captors reportedly demanded N100 million from her family before releasing her.
According to the spokesperson for the SafeCity Security Service, Harrison Gwamnishu, the incident was immediately reported to the police, prompting a swift response from the Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Asaba, led by CSP Osakpolor.
He said
officers deployed the agency's Hydra Tech Surveillance System to track the kidnappers.
The intelligence-led operation led to the successful rescue of Mrs Chiedu along
the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road. She was found alive and unharmed.
Rather
than ending the operation after the rescue, security operatives continued
tracking the suspects. In the early hours of Wednesday, surveillance technology
pinpointed the gang's hideout inside the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest.
A gunfight followed as the security team stormed the camp. Usman was arrested during the exchange, while other gang members escaped deeper into the forest with their weapons.
Gwamnishu
said preliminary investigations indicate that Usman and his gang have been
behind several kidnapping attacks in Igbodo, Umunede and neighbouring communities, where they
allegedly collected millions of naira in ransom from victims' families.
Security agencies have continued efforts to track down the
fleeing suspects as investigations into the criminal network gather pace.
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