Operatives of the Anti-Cultism Unit attached to the Emuoha Annex of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested four suspected kidnappers linked to the abduction of Miss Favour Chika from Igwuruta Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area.
The suspects reportedly abducted the victim in February and later collected a ransom of ₦3 million before securing her release.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the arrests in a statement on Monday, noting that the suspects had confessed to carrying out several high-profile kidnapping operations across the state.
She identified the suspects as Usman Dan-Mama, Abdullahi Kabir, Idris Ismaila, and Mohammed Dalandi.
Iringe-Koko said, “The Rivers State Police Command has recorded a significant breakthrough in its ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes across the State”.
“This development follows the earlier kidnapping of one Miss Favour Chika of Igwuruta Community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State”.
The victim was abducted on 25th February 2026 at about 9:00 a.m. while on her way to her farm and was later released on 2nd March 2026 after a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000) was reportedly paid by her family”.
“Acting on credible intelligence and sustained operational efforts, Police operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit Emuohia Annex, successfully tracked and arrested four suspects on the early hours of the day at about 5:20 a.m. along Ipo/Ozaha Farm Road, where they were reportedly planning another kidnapping operation”.
“The arrested suspects are: Usman Dan-Mama (Male, 20 years), a native of Mubi, Adamawa State; Abdullahi Kabir (Male, 27 years), a native of Damaturu, Yobe; State Idris Ismaila (Male, 20 years), a native of Taraba State; and Mohammed Dalandi (Male, 22 years), a native of Yobe State”.
“Upon their arrest, a search conducted on the suspects led to the recovery of the following items: One locally made pistol, one cut-to-size single barrel gun and twenty live cartridges”.
“During interrogation, the suspects reportedly confessed to carrying out several kidnapping operations within the Igwuruta-Ali, Omagwa, Ozaha, Ipo, and Etche axis of Rivers State”.
“The suspects further admitted to being responsible for the abduction of one Engr. Okoro Osita and his friend, which occurred on 12th February 2026 along Airport Road, Port Harcourt. The victims were later released after the payment of a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000) by their families”.
“They also confessed to the kidnapping of one Sympathy Agu of Umuka-Mba, Etche, and one Chioma Njoku of Obiri, Etche. The incident occurred on 31st January 2026 along Afara/Egwi Road in Etche Local Government Area, where the victims were also released after their families paid a ransom of Three Million Naira (₦3,000,000)”.
“Efforts are currently ongoing to arrest other members of the criminal syndicate who are still at large.”
The Rivers State Police Command reiterated its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents.