The Police Commander in Rivers has arrested four suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and rescued a woman abducted from her shop in the state.

The command’s Spokesperson, Blessing Agabe, disclosed this on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

Agabe said that a white-tinted minibus allegedly used by the gang was also recovered.

She also said that the rescue followed an intelligence-led operation by operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Rescue Unit.

According to her, the victim’s husband, Ikechukwu, 35, reported the abduction on July 11.

“The woman was attending to customers at her shop when armed men stormed the premises and abducted her. The suspects forced the victim into a white-tinted minibus before fleeing the scene.

“Following the report, the command launched an intelligence-driven investigation which led operatives to the gang’s hideout.

“Four male suspects, aged between 28 and 42, were arrested at the hideout. The victim was rescued unharmed during the operation.”

Agabe added that all the four suspects have confessed to their individual roles in the crime.

The spokesperson said efforts were ongoing to apprehend two other members of the syndicate still at large and to recover the firearms used in their operations.

She urged residents to provide prompt and credible information to the police, assuring that “every useful piece of information provided will be treated with the utmost confidentiality”.

She reiterated the command’s commitment to protecting lives and property through intelligence-led policing and lawful strategies aimed at bringing criminal elements to justice.

By Elijah Oguche, Abuja

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State have condemned the worsening State of insecurity in the state resulting in continuing wanton killings of innocent citizens, the latest of which occurred in Otukpo-Nobi, in the Benue-South Senatorial District.

They called for change of governmental leadership in the state owing to the manifest inability of Governor Hyacinth Alia to muster a serious challenge against the situation.

Speaking in Abuja while answering questions on “One Benue, One Direction Hang Out with Journalists”, A Chieftain of the APC, Hon.

Timothy Hembaor, lamented that insecurity in Benue is spiralling out of control because Governor Alia has failed to even accept that there are killings in the state, talk more of finding solutions to the crisis.

Hembaor lamented that Governor Alia had repealed the the Anti Grazing law that was in place before his elections, confiscating enforcement vehicles and converting them for commercial transportation purposes.

“We are an agricultural state. How are we going to support our farmers to turn from partisanship to become extension agricultural farmers? Is the present government willing to support farmers? Is our land safe? I tell you it is not. The Alia administration is not going about the issue of security with sincerity.

“Hostilities against our people now have grown many times more than what obtained prior to Alia becoming Governor, and it is getting worse, with the potential of going completely out of control should he be re-elected to a second term as Governor” he stated.

Also speaking, APC Legal Adviser in the Benue-South (Zone C) Barr. Napoleon Otache, lamented that the entire Zone C is under siege by Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers and bandits.

“There are active threats going on in all parts of Zone C from terrorists. Governor Alia refers to them as foreigners, so I agree. But they pose a very latent threat of terrorism, yet the governor does not treat it as such. As big an urban centre as Otukpo is, once it is 4 p.m. the town shuts down.

“The economy is crippled. People no longer go to farm in Otukpo and environs. You stay at home and wait for the worst that could happen. You can be in your house and still be killed” he lamented.

Barr. Otache criticized the governor as not showing commitment or readiness to protect lives and property in the state, noting that it is becoming obvious he lacks ideas on how to deal with the situation that has put the state under siege, pushing her citizens into poverty and hopelessness.

Calling in on the programme from Makurdi, Comrade Adams A. said to rescue Benue from the hands of insecurity, the current leadership of the state must be changed.

He explained that Governor Alia does not believe he has a security crisis, “he has denied it many times openly, while people are dying and displaced from their homes on a daily basis all over the state, so how can he proffer solutions to what he does not think exist” Adams questioned.

Stakeholders who spoke on the programme believe that the insecurity in the Benue state will get worse if the Governor Alia is re elected to a second term of office.

The Police Command in Kogi has launched a manhunt for gunmen who abducted six persons during the ongoing NECO examination at a school in Dekina Local Government Area on Tuesday.

The six persons abducted include four students, the school principal and a NECO ad-hoc staff.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Afusat Saliu, confirmed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lokoja.

Saliu said that the incident occurred at about 5; 25p.m., while students were still writing their NECO examination.

She said that a combined team of police and other security agencies immediately swung into action and were currently on the trail of the assailants.

“So far, one of the abducted students has been rescued. Efforts are ongoing to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators,” she said.

The PPRO added that the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Naziru Kankarofi, the Brigade Commander, 12 Brigade, Brig.-Gen. Kasim Sidi, the Security Adviser to the governor, retired Cdr Jerry Omadara were currently en route to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.

She assured parents and residents that every necessary resource had been deployed to ensure the safe return of those still in captivity.

She said that a more detailed statement would be issued as soon as additional verified information was available.

Kano NSCDC Trains 250 Personnel on Intelligence Gathering, Report Writing

The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has trained 250 personnel on intelligence gathering and report writing to enhance professionalism and operational efficiency.

The one-day training workshop was organised on Tuesday in Kano by the Command’s Intelligence and Investigation Department.

Speaking at the event, the State Commandant, Mohammed Hassan-Agalama, said the training was designed to equip personnel with the knowledge and skills required to effectively discharge their responsibilities.

He said the workshop focused on improving intelligence gathering, understanding the legal framework guiding security operations and ensuring that officers upheld justice and professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

“The purpose of this training is to ensure that our personnel are properly equipped to carry out their various duties, especially in intelligence gathering.

“It is also to enable them to understand the laws guiding their operations, know what is right, what to do and what not to do, while adding value to their professional competence,” he said.

Hassan-Agalama said 250 personnel participated in the first batch of the training, adding that additional batches would be organised to accommodate officers who could not attend due to operational commitments.

He urged participants to cascade the knowledge acquired to officers under their supervision to ensure uniformity in operational standards across the command.

The commandant also advised personnel to apply the lessons learnt in carrying out investigations, handling arrests, invitations and dispute resolution in accordance with the law.

He stressed the need for officers to maintain professionalism, avoid actions that could infringe on citizens’ rights and allow matters that could not be resolved through mediation to follow due legal process.

Hassan-Agalama reaffirmed the command’s commitment to protecting national critical assets and infrastructure through intelligence-led operations.

He said the NSCDC would continue to work in synergy with the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security organisations to improve security across the state.

The commandant commended the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Dr Abubakar Audi, for his unwavering support towards personnel development and capacity building.

SC Abdulganiyu Muhammad, the Head of investigation, presented papers titled “Fundamentals of Intelligence Gathering” and “Intelligence Analysis”

Also, ASC Jamilu Ali-Gaya, an Investigation Officer, presented a paper titled” Sources and Methods of Collecting Intelligence”, ACC M S Abdulkadir, presented a paper titled” Principles of Report Writing and Practical Report Writing Exercise”.

The Head of Legal Unit, Muhammad Aliyu, who presented a paper titled “Ethics and Legal Considerations” described the training as timely.(NAN)