“We rape and impregnate female victims whose husbands & families can’t pay their ransom”- Suspected Kidnappers confess

A group of suspected kidnappers have been arrested by the operatives of the Anti Kidnapping Squad of the Rivers State Police Command.

According to their confession, they rape women whose families do not bring their ransom.

Some of the arrested suspected kidnappers and robbers are Umeh Palo, 24; Philip Chudo, 25, and Godsday Okere, 30.

Eight victims, including 23-year-old Ruth Sunday were rescued by the operative. The police also recovered over 50 arms and ammunitions, including 15 AK 47 rifles, pistols and magazine from the gang at their hideout at Igbo-Eche, Pinepile and Wilyakara Forest in Bori Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“I hail from Bori Local Government Area of Rivers State. We are 10 members of the gang. We kidnap female victims and we impregnate them. We have kidnapped over 15 female victims and impregnated about eight victims. We usually turned them to our girlfriends if money was not forthcoming from their people. We would later release them.”, a suspect said.

The police boss, Rivers State CP, Mr Eboka, said the suspects led the police detectives to arrest one Thankgod alleged to be their arms keeper. Thankgod, it was gathered, led the police to a location in the Wilyakara Forest in Bori where firearms were recovered. The police alleged that the suspects had killed policeman in their check point and their houses.

Speaking about their intervention, Deputy Commissioner Operations, Muazu Muhammed who led the operation said, him and his Anti-Kidnapping Commander, Collins Edward alongside his operatives broke into the hideout of kidnappers in Wilyakara forest and in Mbano camp in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state. They recovered Police AK 47 rifles, magazines and 125 cartridges and pump action guns stolen from the police during the #EndSARS protest last year.

“Between December 2020 and January 2021, the same gang kidnapped two female victims in Oyingbo and Mile 1 in Port-Harcourt and took them to their hideout and demanded a ransom. Operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad stormed their hideout after the family of the victims had paid N800,000. Two female victims were rescued from an uncompleted building.”

“Between May and July 2020, the same gang kidnapped a husband and wife in Etche and demanded N3million. In the process, N1 million was paid while the husband was released. The wife was raped and impregnated before she was released one month later. The syndicate dumped the victim in a bush and abandoned her there until she was rescued by police operatives.”

“On February 28 2021, the same gang kidnapped a female victim, 28-year-old Ruth Sunday along Igbo-Etche Pipeline and demanded millions of naira as ransom from her relatives. The victim was kept for three days in their custody, waiting for ransom until the operatives stormed the hideout. Three suspects were arrested while others escaped. The other gang members were arrested in Port-Harcourt and they have confessed. They took the police operatives to their hideout where AK 47 rifles, magazines, 20 rounds of live ammunition and locally made pistol with cartridges were recovered. The victim, Ruth, was rushed to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital for medical treatment,” he added.