Police Rescue 42-Year-Old Woman From Kidnappers’ Den

The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman, Esther Chinedu, who was abducted in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, after spending nearly one month in captivity.

Chinedu, an indigene of Ebonyi State and resident of Amassoma, was reportedly abducted on July 28, 2026, after suspected kidnappers stormed her shop under the guise of wanting to buy an item.

The Commissioner of Police in Bayelsa State, CP Ajao Adewale, disclosed this on Sunday while briefing journalists on the successful rescue operation carried out by operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo.

Adewale said the victim was rescued unhurt from the kidnappers’ hideout in the Ogobiri Forest in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.

According to the police commissioner, the command received a distress call at about 7 p.m. on the day of the abduction and immediately activated its intelligence network to track the perpetrators.

He said intelligence gathering from both digital and local sources eventually provided useful clues on the movements of the kidnappers and their ransom negotiations with the victim’s family.

According to Adewale, the kidnappers initially demanded N100 million as ransom but later reduced the demand to N20 million. The suspects also allegedly collected N1.5 million from the victim’s husband for what they described as “refreshments.”

The CP said operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Squad, led by CSP Nwaogbo, relocated to the Ogobiri Forest five days before the final operation and began closing in on the suspects.

He said the operatives stormed the kidnappers’ camp at about 1:45 a.m., successfully rescuing the victim and arresting one suspected kidnapper.

The suspect, identified simply as Mark, 33, from Akemfa 1 Community, was arrested during the operation.
Adewale said the suspect confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.

According to the CP, the suspects claimed they approached the woman’s shop, where foam products are sold, under the pretext of buying foam before taking advantage of the situation to abduct her.

“They surveyed the environment and saw that the woman was not sufficiently protected. They abducted her, put her in a vehicle and moved her to the riverside, where she was ferried to the camp,” Adewale said.

The police commissioner said the rescue operation involved personnel of the Violent Crime Response Unit, the Federal Criminal Investigation Department and the Marine Department.

He commended the officers and men who participated in the operation, particularly those who endured difficult conditions while navigating the waterways and tracking the kidnappers.

Adewale assured residents that the command would continue to intensify efforts to tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes across the state, while investigations continue to apprehend other members of the gang.