On Thursday, as police officers freed Abuja resident Segun Akinyemi, who had been abducted while he was leaving his house, there was a heated exchange of gunfire.
ASP Mansir Hassan, the public relations officer for the Kaduna State Police, stated that the
police apprehended the kidnappers while they were transporting Akinyemi from Abuja to Kano State.
According to him, on January 18, 2024, operatives from Kaduna State’s Kawo Divisional Headquarters received a distress call about an abduction event from Abuja.
They were informed that the offenders and their victim were passing through Kaduna, he said.
Hassan stated, “At approximately 00:10 hours, the agents stopped a grey Toyota Hilux van with the license plate Abuja RBC 90 DC. The van had four occupants, including the driver, and was thought to be the one transporting the abductors and their victim.
“One of the kidnappers fired at the policemen as he sensed danger and attempted to flee, and they retaliated accordingly.” Following the gunfight, one of the kidnappers, Chinaza Philip, 28, of Life Camp Abuja, was taken into custody and the victim, a certain Segun Akinyemi of Garki, Abuja, was saved.
The three other suspects who managed to flee were being tracked down, the police revealed. They also revealed that the victim’s car, two Retay G17 model handguns, one Beretta pistol, ten 9mm P.A.K. ammo, and five 9mm special ammunition were found inside the kidnappers.
He claimed that preliminary investigations had shown that the victim had been kidnapped on January 17, 2024, right as he was leaving his house at the previously indicated address.
He named the three fugitive suspects as the gang leader, whose identity is still unknown,
one Auwal with an unknown surname, and Chidibere Nwodibo of Life Camp, Abuja.
Before being stopped by the police, the kidnappers were taking their victim to Kano.
Although praising the officers for their courageous action, A. D. Ali, Commissioner of Police,
Kaduna State Police Command, gave them the continued responsibility of pursuing criminal elements within the state.
He urged the public to use the hotlines of security services in case they had any emergency that needed to be handled right away.
Source: PunchNG