A joint security team comprising Police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group has rescued one of three persons abducted by armed men who attacked the precinct of a church at Inoyi, Affa Community, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State in the early hours of Sunday.
The victim was rescued unhurt after the security operatives mounted a swift operation and closed in on the fleeing suspects, forcing them to abandon the victim. However, the assailants escaped with the remaining two victims, prompting an intensified manhunt by security agencies.
The Enugu State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Daniel Ndukwe, who disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, said combined security operatives had intensified operations and were on the trail of the kidnappers to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“The operatives, while closing in on the fleeing suspects, forced them to abandon one of the victims, who was immediately rescued unhurt. The assailants, however, escaped with the remaining two victims,” Ndukwe said.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, directed the Area Commander, Oji River, and the Head of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to further intensify ongoing operations and deploy all available operational assets to secure the release of the remaining victims and apprehend the fleeing suspects.
The Commissioner also directed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to immediately generate actionable human and technical intelligence to support the rescue operation, while activating the surveillance and technical capabilities of the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre to strengthen the ongoing efforts.
Quoting the Commissioner, Ndukwe said he urged residents “to remain calm and continue to support the Police with credible and actionable information,” assuring them that “every available resource is being deployed to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
He appealed to members of the public with useful information to contact the Police through the emergency lines: 08032003702, 08086671202, 112, 09134666668, or 09134448093, or via email at pproenugu@npf.gov.ng.
