Police operatives in Bayelsa State have rescued a 42-year-old woman, Esther Chinedu, after she spent almost a month in captivity following her abduction in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area.
Drivetvnews gathered that Chinedu was reportedly kidnapped on July 28 after suspected criminals entered her phone shop under the pretence of wanting to buy an item. According to the Bayelsa State Police Command, the kidnappers later moved her through the waterways to a hideout in Ogumbri Forest.
The Commissioner of Police, Ajao Adewale, said the command launched an investigation shortly after receiving a distress call on the day of the incident. Intelligence gathered from digital and local sources helped investigators track the suspects and monitor ransom negotiations with the victim’s family.
The kidnappers initially demanded N100m before reducing the amount to N20m. Police operatives from the Crime Response Squad eventually raided the hideout around 1:45 a.m., rescuing Chinedu and arresting a 33-year-old suspect identified as Mark.
Police said the suspect, who is from Akemfa 1 community, confessed to participating in the abduction and provided information about how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.
The victim’s husband also described the ordeal of negotiating with the kidnappers. He said the criminals initially demanded N2m and later raised the ransom to N100m. After several negotiations, he was able to pay about N1.8m, although the kidnappers continued demanding more money.
He said the prolonged ordeal affected the family deeply, particularly his children, who struggled to understand why their mother was absent.
Following the rescue, Chinedu recounted how the kidnappers allegedly tricked her before abducting her from the shop. She said she was taken through several boats to the forest camp, where she remained for weeks.
The woman described the conditions in captivity as extremely difficult and expressed gratitude to the police for rescuing her.
The Bayelsa Police Command said the operation involved personnel from its Crime Response Squad, Federal Criminal Investigation Unit and Marine Department. Commissioner Adewale commended the officers involved and assured residents that the command would continue efforts to tackle kidnapping and other crimes across the state.
