Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have successfully rescued a kidnapped victim and arrested a suspected member of a criminal syndicate involved in online job scams and ransom extortion.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe, the Command disclosed that the operation was carried out on April 11, 2026, by officers attached to the Anti-Kidnapping Sub-Unit of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU). The victim, a male, had been lured through a fraudulent online job offer, abducted, and forced to pay a ransom of ₦500,000 before regaining freedom. During the operation, a 27-year-old suspect, Aniagboso Ugochukwu, was apprehended.
Preliminary investigations further revealed that the same syndicate had, on April 1, 2026, carried out a similar operation, kidnapping another victim and extorting ₦100,000 before releasing him.
Police findings indicate that the criminal group operates by advertising fake job vacancies on social media platforms. Interested individuals are directed to a meeting point at Eke Obinagu in Emene, Enugu, after which they are transported to a remote location in Akpuoga Nike. There, victims are held captive and threatened with crude weapons, including iron rods and wooden planks, while ransom demands are made to their families.
The arrested suspect has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crimes and is currently assisting the police with ongoing investigations aimed at tracking down other members of the syndicate, recovering the extorted funds, and dismantling the network.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, urged the public to exercise caution when engaging with online job offers. He advised individuals to verify the authenticity of such opportunities before taking any action and encouraged residents to report suspicious activities promptly to law enforcement authorities.
The Command also provided emergency contact lines for reporting: 08032003702, 08086671202, 112, 09134666668, and 09134448093.