A suspected kidnapper was neutralized, and a kidnapped victim was rescued by a joint operation involving the Anambra State Police Command and local vigilantes in the Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State.
This development comes as the Police Command directed hospitals in Anambra State to admit but promptly report any suspect with bullet wounds to the nearest police station for profiling and possible arrest after administering first aid.
Similarly, the Command recovered a shuttle bus allegedly belonging to the kidnap victim during the operation.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, “On the evening of March 24, 2025, a joint security team comprising the Police, Military, and Ihiala Vigilante, while on patrol, intercepted a black shuttle bus with registration number RSH 255MS, which was moving suspiciously.
“In an attempt to stop the vehicle, the armed occupants opened fire on the joint security team. During the gun duel, the security operatives neutralized one of the armed assailants, while four others abandoned the shuttle bus and escaped with various degrees of bullet wounds through a nearby bush.
“Upon searching the vehicle, operatives found a blindfolded victim, suspected to have been kidnapped. The victim’s hands and legs were tied, and his mouth was sealed.
“The victim was successfully rescued, given first aid, and debriefed by police operatives. The vehicle was also recovered, and the joint security team remains active in the area, conducting further operations to apprehend the fleeing suspects.”
Regarding the directive to hospitals, the statement further read: “In light of this development, the Command urges all proprietors of private and public hospitals to admit but report any individual presented with bullet wounds or injuries of a suspicious nature to the nearest police station.
“This measure is critical to the ongoing effort to apprehend the fleeing suspects and prevent further escalation of criminal activities in the State.
“The Command remains committed to maintaining security dominance through sustained patrols and targeted security operations in the state,” he said.
