Operatives of the Department of State Services have apprehended at least five high-profile kidnappers who have been terrorising parts of Udi Local Government Area and other areas within Enugu State.
Sources reveal that the infamous gang members were arrested during a covert operation carried out by the secret police, following the tracing of their hideouts in various locations.
Acting on credible intelligence, the operatives began tracking the suspects last Wednesday. This was shortly before the arrest of three key members of another kidnapping gang in the state capital on Friday.
A senior official within the secret police informed Daily Trust on Sunday that the kidnappers confessed to extorting substantial ransoms from the relatives of their victims.
The official further stated that the DSS, along with other security forces, including the military, police, and forest guards, has launched a manhunt for additional fleeing members of the syndicate.
“Our operatives recovered significant amounts of cash, which are proceeds from their illegal activities, along with lethal weapons and other dangerous items at the site of the arrests,” the source stated.
The governor, having been briefed on details concerning the notorious gangs, has opted not to provide further specifics due to the sensitive nature of the operations.
The DSS, in collaboration with the military, police, and other security agencies, as well as state-owned Forest Guards, has implemented ongoing measures aimed at tracking down remaining gang members and conducting raids on their hideouts and camps in the forests.
