A coordinated security operation in Delta State has led to the rescue of a kidnapped woman and the arrest of a suspected bandit during a gun battle deep inside a forest hideout.
Mrs. Blessing Chiedu, an indigene of Umunede Kingdom, was abducted on 2 July along Ani-Ifekide Farm Road in Ubulu-Uku by armed kidnappers who reportedly demanded a ₦100 million ransom from her family. Following a distress alert from security activist Harrison Gwamnishu, operatives of the Delta State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad, working with SafeCity Security Service and using Hydra Tech Surveillance, launched an intensive search operation.
On 7 July, security operatives successfully rescued Chiedu alive and unharmed along the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road before moving in on the suspects’ hideout the following day. During a fierce gun battle in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest, one of the suspects, identified as Abubakar Usman, was arrested while other gang members escaped into the forest.
According to Harrison Gwamnishu, the suspect allegedly confessed to collecting ₦1.5 million as his share of ransom payments from kidnapping operations and reportedly linked his gang to several other abductions in the area. Investigators are continuing efforts to track down the fleeing members of the syndicate and dismantle the wider criminal network.
Gwamnishu praised the Delta State Police Command, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, SafeCity Security Service and local security volunteers for their collaboration, describing the operation as a major breakthrough in the fight against kidnapping in the state. Authorities say investigations are ongoing and have urged residents to continue providing credible intelligence to support security operations.
