In a meticulously orchestrated operation, the Imo State Police Command detained four individuals suspected of orchestrating kidnappings, following a decisive incursion into their concealed stronghold within the Irete precinct of Owerri West Local Council. The initiative, directed by Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma, yielded a cache of weaponry, marking a significant stride in the region’s security efforts.

DSP Henry Okoye, the command’s articulate spokesperson, disclosed in an official communiqué that the apprehensions were the culmination of actionable intelligence, spurred by a persistent chorus of grievances from local inhabitants over a spate of assaults, abductions, and violent transgressions perpetrated by unidentified armed assailants.

The quartet, comprising Sulieman Ahmed, aged 26, Mohammed Salisu, 31, and Gambo Jefta, 26—all hailing from Jigawa State—alongside Gabriel Ogbuzuru from Ebonyi State, were seized during a synchronized offensive on March 2, 2025. The haul from the raid included three artisanal firearms, six live cartridges, and three machetes, underscoring the tangible threat posed by the captured group.

DSP Henry Okoye further disclosed that the detained suspects remain under confinement, poised for judicial proceedings as the legal process advances. In a subsequent maneuver on March 3, 2025, Commissioner of Police Aboki Danjuma spearheaded an exhaustive sweep through the vicinity, targeting additional fugitives who evaded the initial clampdown.

The Commissioner has concurrently fortified security arrangements across the jurisdiction, deploying enhanced patrols and forging strategic alliances with community vigilante units to reestablish tranquility in an area beleaguered by unrest. He issued a resolute appeal to the populace, encouraging heightened awareness and the prompt relay of any anomalous observations to the police via the command’s designated emergency contact lines.