The Abia State Police Command has arrested three suspected members of a kidnapping syndicate and rescued an 18-year-old woman, Ifeoma Obinna, following a ₦5 million ransom demand for her release.
The Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, October 8, 2026, by its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi.
According to Chinaka, the breakthrough followed a distress call received by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit on October 4, 2026, after an unidentified caller contacted Mrs. Obinna and demanded ₦5 million before she could see her missing daughter.
“Sequel to a distress call received at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit on 04/10/2026, that an unknown caller called Mrs. Obinna and demanded the sum of ₦5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) if they wanted to see their missing daughter,” the statement said.
Chinaka said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on actionable intelligence, subsequently arrested three suspects in Umuimo Community, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects were identified as Chidozie Rainbow Hezekiah, 65; Brave Rainbow, 21; and Innocent Otodirichu, 21.
The police said the rescued victim was recovered during the operation, while two daggers and her mobile phone were also recovered as exhibits.
According to the Command, efforts were ongoing to apprehend other members of the suspected kidnapping syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Wilfred Olutokunbo Afolabi, reiterated the Command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other forms of criminality across Abia State.
Afolabi also assured residents that the Command would continue to deploy actionable intelligence, community partnerships and other operational strategies to strengthen security in the state.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and provide the police with useful information by reporting suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the Command’s dedicated hotlines.
The statement was signed by DSP Maureen Chioma Chinaka, LLB, ANIPR, MNISMA, Police Public Relations Officer, for the Commissioner of Police, Abia State Command, on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
The Command concluded with its public safety message: “Together we keep Abia safe” and “See Something Say Something.”
