The Imo State Police Command has rescued a kidnap victim during an intelligence-led operation targeting suspected criminal hideouts in parts of Owerri West Local Government Area of the state.
The operation, led by the Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, in collaboration with local vigilantes, was carried out on Friday across the Nekede, Ihiagwa and Agbala forest axis.
The command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, disclosed this in a statement issued in Owerri on Saturday.
According to the statement, the operation was conducted on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, conveyed through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the South-East, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie. It formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen internal security, dismantle criminal camps and deny criminal elements safe havens across the state.
During the raid, police operatives rescued an injured kidnap victim identified as Chinonaobi Uchegbulam of Ubaha Orodo from a forest hideout.
The victim was immediately evacuated to a medical facility, where he is receiving treatment and responding positively, the police said.
Bosso commended the operatives for their courage and professionalism, reaffirming the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-led operations against criminal elements.
“The command remains committed to ensuring that Imo State is unsafe for criminals through sustained intelligence-led operations,” the commissioner said.
He urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency lines, stressing that timely and credible information from the public remains crucial to combating kidnapping and other violent crimes.
