The Rivers State Police Command has rescued a kidnap victim and arrested a suspect following a tense overnight chase through the Eliozu-Rumuokoro axis of Port Harcourt, in the latest operation targeting the state’s kidnapping gangs.

According to command spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe, the operation was set in motion after police received intelligence around 10:15pm on September 24 about an abduction unfolding in the area.

A Convoy Patrol Team stationed at Eliozu spotted the suspected kidnappers and gave chase toward Rumuokoro, tracking them as far as Eligbolu before operatives attached to the command’s Special Area Division moved in to intercept the fleeing suspects.

The pursuit ended with the arrest of 23-year-old Sunday Rufus, a native of Ikwerre Local Government Area, and the safe recovery of the victim, identified as Emmanuel, who was rushed for medical attention following the ordeal.

Police recovered a firearm along with two rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and a white tricycle bearing the registration PHC 756 ZY during the operation.

Agabe said investigations are continuing as police work to track down other members of the gang believed to be still at large. Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adewole Adepoju commended the officers involved for their swift response to the distress call, and reiterated the command’s commitment to sustaining pressure on kidnapping networks and other violent crime operating in the state.

The arrest adds to a string of recent successes for the Rivers command, which has stepped up intelligence-led raids on kidnapping camps across the state in response to a wave of abductions in Port Harcourt and its surrounding communities in recent months.