The Imo State Police Command has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing offensive against kidnapping and violent crime after operatives crossed the Egbema River creeks in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area to dismantle a suspected kidnappers’ and terrorists’ camp, arrest nine suspects, rescue three abducted victims and recover a cache of arms, ammunition and other exhibits.
The operation, unveiled by the Commissioner of Police, Audu Bosso, during a press briefing at the Command Headquarters in Owerri on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, followed weeks of intelligence gathering and targeted operations against criminal syndicates operating within the state.
Bosso disclosed that the command’s sustained intelligence-led operations over the last two months resulted in the arrest of 184 suspects for offences ranging from kidnapping, terrorism, armed robbery and cultism to murder, defilement, rape, sexual assault, vehicle snatching, stealing and receiving stolen property.
“In the past two months, the Command under my stewardship arrested a total of 184 suspects in separate intelligence-led operations for criminal offences bordering on kidnapping, terrorism, armed robbery, cultism, murder, defilement, rape, sexual assault, vehicle snatching, stealing, receiving stolen property, and other violent crimes,” Bosso said.
According to the commissioner, the breakthrough in the creek operation began on June 27, 2026, when a victim was kidnapped in Egbema by members of the syndicate.
Police operatives launched an intensive investigation, leading to the victim’s rescue on June 30.
Information obtained during the rescue operation, coupled with intelligence gathered by detectives, enabled investigators to identify members of the gang and trace their hideout deep inside the Egbema River creeks.
Bosso said operatives subsequently arrested two suspected kingpins identified as Confidence Vitalis, 28, from Ukugba in Egbema, Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area, and Ishiaya Rejoice, 32, from Emuoha in Rivers State.
Their confessional statements provided investigators with crucial intelligence that led to the next phase of the operation.
“Following the arrest and confessional statements of two kidnapping kingpins… operatives of the Imo State Police Command on Monday, July 6, 2026 carried out a follow-up operation at a suspected kidnappers’ and terrorists’ hideout located within the Egbema River creek,” Bosso said.
The commissioner explained that despite the difficult terrain, police operatives advanced into the creek, successfully dislodged the criminal camp and arrested seven additional suspects, bringing the total number of suspects arrested in connection with the operation to nine.
“During the operation, the camp was successfully dislodged and seven additional suspects were arrested,” he added.
Police also rescued three kidnapped victims unharmed during the operations.
“The operations also led to the rescue of three kidnapped victims unharmed,” Bosso said.
A follow-up operation conducted on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, at the Obiakpu swamps in Ohaji/Egbema further yielded additional rifle magazines and ammunition, reinforcing investigators’ belief that the location served as one of the gang’s operational bases.
The commissioner listed the exhibits recovered during the raids to include two AK-47 rifles, 11 AK-47 magazines, three M16 rifle magazines, five locally made double-barrel cut-to-size guns, four locally made pistols, 138 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 148 rounds of M16 ammunition, 76 rounds of 9mm Beretta ammunition, 20 rounds of General Purpose Machine Gun ammunition, 18 live cartridges and one empty Beretta magazine.
Other items recovered include a blue Toyota Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle without a registration number, an ash-coloured Mercedes-Benz GLK with registration number YAB 831 DQ, three Q-Link motorcycles, one Sumec generator, eight branded cult caps, a human skull and assorted charms believed to have been used by the criminal syndicate.
Bosso further revealed that investigations linked members of the gang to the Saturday, May 16, 2026, attempted kidnap of Betty Dike at Umuguma in Owerri West Local Government Area, during which two personnel of the Imo State Homeland Security were killed while responding to the incident.
He added that victims rescued during the operation had identified some of the arrested suspects as members of the gang responsible for their abduction, while efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the criminal network.
The commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining intelligence-driven operations across the state, assuring residents that the police would continue to pursue criminal elements hiding in forests, creeks and other remote locations until they are brought to justice.