Law enforcement frees abducted female, fatally shoots perpetrator in Enugu woodland

The Enugu State Police Command has successfully rescued a woman who was abducted by suspected kidnappers in the Nsukka Local Government Area, thanks to an intelligence-led operation that also led to the death of one of the suspects.

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The rescue operation was carried out after the command received a distress call at about 10:10 a.m. on July 31, when armed men emerged from a nearby forest and abducted the woman along Anuka Road in Okpuje, Nsukka Local Government Area.

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According to SP Daniel Ndukwe, the command's spokesperson, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Okpuje Division swiftly mobilised police operatives, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch to trail the kidnappers.

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The security team tracked the suspects to a forest in the Anuka area near the Enugu-Kogi State boundary, where they engaged them in a fierce gun battle, resulting in the death of one suspect and the escape of others with suspected gunshot wounds.

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During the gun battle, the victim was rescued unhurt, and her two children and motorcycle, which were left behind by the kidnappers, were also secured, according to the police.

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The woman and her children have since been reunited with their family, and efforts have been intensified to track down and arrest the fleeing suspects, the command said.

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Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Mamman Giwa, commended the operatives involved in the rescue mission, praising the collaboration among the police, Forest Guards, and members of the Neighbourhood Watch.

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Giwa reaffirmed the command's resolve to sustain intelligence-led operations against violent crime across the state, urging residents to remain vigilant and continue providing credible, timely information to the police.