Troops of the 34 Artillery Brigade operating under Operation UDO KA, in collaboration with other security agencies, have dismantled a kidnapping syndicate in Imo State, arresting a suspect and recovering suspected ransom proceeds and a vehicle allegedly used in an abduction.
The operation, conducted on July 17, followed actionable intelligence that led troops to Obinwanne Umuaka in Njaba Local Government Area, where they carried out a cordon-and-search mission.
The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 82 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olabisi Olalekan Ayeni, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
According to him, troops recovered a bag believed to have been used to transport ransom payments, which had been abandoned in a nearby bush, suggesting the money had already been shared among members of the criminal gang.
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He said further intelligence exploitation led to the arrest of a suspect at a residential building, where security operatives also recovered a black Lexus saloon car allegedly used during the kidnapping, mobile phones, identity documents and ₦298,200 suspected to be part of the ransom.
“The rescued victim later confirmed the involvement of the arrested individual in the abduction,” Ayeni said.
He added that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect provided his vehicle to the syndicate’s principal actor and received a share of the ransom after the operation.
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Ayeni said the suspect and all recovered exhibits had been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation and efforts to apprehend other members of the syndicate, including the alleged kingpin who remains at large.
“This successful operation underscores the effectiveness of intelligence-driven missions and highlights the ongoing collaboration among security agencies in combating kidnapping and violent crimes in the South-East region,” he said.
