Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
Port Harcourt, Rivers State — In a significant security operation against violent crime and kidnapping, the Rivers State Police Command has apprehended a suspected notorious kidnapper following an intelligence‑led raid, police confirmed on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The suspect, identified as Mohammed Ibrahim, 30, a native of Numan Local Government Area in Adamawa State, was taken into custody after operatives of the Anti‑Cultism Unit (ACU), Emohua Annex intercepted him along Emuoha Road on the outskirts of Port Harcourt. Police described Ibrahim as a suspected kingpin behind a string of kidnapping and ransom operations that have terrorised commuters and residents along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, Omagwa axis.
According to the Rivers State Police Command, the arrest took place on the evening of Saturday, January 10, 2026, when officers acting on credible intelligence intercepted Ibrahim as he was allegedly preparing to relocate his operational camp and armoury toward the Agbonchia/Oyigbo Road area of Eleme Local Government Area. A thorough search of the suspect yielded the seizure of a prohibited firearm — an AK‑47 rifle — and two magazines loaded with 36 rounds of live ammunition.
Police spokesperson CSP Grace Iringe‑Koko said preliminary interrogations indicate Ibrahim may have been at the centre of several kidnapping cases in the state. She described the arrest as a critical blow against criminal networks that have disrupted travel and commerce in parts of Rivers State.
In separate developments, other local media reports confirm that operations by the Rivers police have resulted in multiple arrests of suspected kidnappers linked to various abduction and ransom incidents in recent weeks and months. Some of those suspects have been tied to violent attacks, ransom demands and the murder of victims after extorting family members — underscoring the broader challenge of kidnapping in the region.
The Commissioner of Police in Rivers, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, praised the arresting officers for their professionalism and pledged continued action to dismantle kidnapping rings and secure the state’s major highways and communities. He also urged the public to assist law enforcement by reporting suspicious movements and unregistered camps that may harbour criminal elements.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue, with authorities working to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged kidnapping syndicate and recover additional weapons and equipment connected to the crimes.
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