The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapping kingpin, Mohammed Ibrahim, alleged to be the leader of a notorious gang responsible for abducting commuters along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road and other parts of the state.
Ibrahim was arrested along the Emuoha Road axis on the outskirts of Port Harcourt following what the police described as a credible, intelligence-driven operation.
The spokesperson of the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
According to Iringe-Koko, the suspect and members of his gang were involved in several kidnapping operations across Rivers State, during which substantial ransoms were collected from victims.
She explained that Ibrahim was intercepted on January 10, 2026, while attempting to relocate his operational armoury and camp to the Agbonchia/Oyigbo Road area in Eleme Local Government Area.
“The Rivers State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its sustained efforts to combat kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state, in line with the directives of the Commissioner of Police,” the statement said.
“At about 7:46 p.m. on January 10, 2026, operatives attached to the Anti-Cultism Unit, Emohua Annex, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted and arrested Mohammed Ibrahim, a 30-year-old male from Numan Local Government Area of Adamawa State, in connection with a series of kidnapping-for-ransom operations in Rivers State.
“The suspect, a notorious kidnapper who has been terrorising commuters along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road, Omagwa, was apprehended while planning to relocate his operational base and armoury to Agbonchia in Eleme Local Government Area.”
Iringe-Koko said a search conducted on the suspect led to the recovery of one AK-47 rifle bearing breach number 2125 and two magazines loaded with 36 rounds of 7.62×39mm live ammunition.
She added that during preliminary interrogation, Ibrahim voluntarily confessed to being the ringleader of a kidnapping syndicate that carried out multiple operations within the state.
“The suspect and recovered exhibits are currently in police custody, while efforts are ongoing to track down and arrest other members of the gang and recover additional weapons,” the statement added.
Reacting to the arrest, the Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, commended the operatives for their professionalism and swift action in apprehending the prime suspect.
Adepoju urged residents of the state to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies, assuring the public of the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property.
He stressed that the arrest underscored the resolve of the Rivers State Police Command to tackle violent crime head-on, warning that there would be no hiding place for criminal elements in the state.
