Police Uncover Officers’ Kidnap Ring, Recover Millions in Rivers State

The Nigeria Police Force has uncovered an alleged kidnapping and extortion syndicate involving serving police officers in Rivers State, leading to arrests, dismissals, and planned prosecution of the affected personnel.

According to a statement issued by the Force Headquarters, the operation forms part of the Force’s ongoing internal cleansing campaign aimed at flushing out criminal elements within the police system.

The statement noted that the officers implicated in the crimes violated the ethics and professional standards of policing, stressing that the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, remains committed to restoring public confidence in the Force.

Investigations revealed that some officers attached to Zone 16 Headquarters, Yenagoa, allegedly operated an illegal stop-and-search syndicate in Port Harcourt, where victims were reportedly abducted and forced to transfer millions of naira through bank accounts and cryptocurrency platforms.

Police said the operation led to the recovery of three Toyota Sienna buses and over seven million naira believed to be proceeds of the criminal activities, while efforts are ongoing to arrest other fleeing suspects.

In a separate development, five officers formerly attached to the Rivers State Police Command were dismissed over alleged involvement in organised kidnapping, extortion, and stealing.

The Nigeria Police Force stated that all officers found culpable would be prosecuted in accordance with the law, while urging members of the public to continue reporting cases of police misconduct and human rights abuses through official complaint channels.