Operatives of the Police Command in Edo State have neutralised a suspected kidnapper and rescued his victim in the Egor area of the state.
The Public Relations Officer of the command, SP Moses Yamu, reported on Tuesday that the suspect had ambushed his victim, Iyobo Ighodaro, who was driving a silver Mercedes Benz C350, at gunpoint and abducted him.
According to Yamu, the incident was reported to the Ugbowo Police Station by Valentine Igbinevbo on September 15. The Divisional Police Officer, CSP John Emmanuel, quickly mobilised a surveillance team that tracked the suspects to their hideout in Egor, near Benin.
At the hideout, the suspects were found negotiating a ransom using the victim’s phone. A gun battle ensued when the police arrived, resulting in one male suspect sustaining fatal gunshot injuries and being pronounced dead at the hospital. Another suspect is believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
The police recovered the victim’s vehicle, a cut-to-size gun, a live cartridge, a cutlass, and three phones. The victim was rescued unharmed, received medical attention, and was reunited with his family. The deceased suspect’s body was taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).
Commissioner of Police Nemi Iwo praised the DPO and his team for their effective crime-fighting efforts, warning criminals in the state that their activities would not be tolerated.