The Rivers State Police Command has arrested five suspects over alleged kidnappings linked to online dating platforms, following the rescue of a 24-year-old woman abducted along the Igwirita–Etche Road.
The suspects were allegedly using online dating platforms to lure victims from within and outside Port Harcourt before abducting them, according to the police.
The command’s spokesperson, ASP Blessing Agabe Kaborlo, said the victim, identified as Chinyere, travelled from Delta State to Port Harcourt on October 3 to visit a friend but was abducted along the road.
The police received a report of the incident on October 4 and deployed operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit in Diobu to investigate.
The suspects were identified as Gift Okeregwu, 23; Okeregwu Onyekachi, 27; Bright Augustine, 27; Chijoke Nwalozie, 35; and Obinachi Rita, 26.
According to the police, operatives arrested Okeregwu at a hideout along the Omuoda Pipeline in Allu, Port Harcourt, while the other four suspects were also apprehended in connection with the case.
The command said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects allegedly used online dating platforms to lure people into meetings before abducting them.
It added that the suspects had made statements admitting involvement in the alleged crimes and provided information about other kidnapping cases in Igwirita and Etche.
However, the police did not disclose details of the woman’s rescue or say whether a ransom was demanded or paid.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling kidnapping and other violent crimes in the state.
The police also advised residents to verify the identities of people they meet through online dating platforms before arranging physical meetings and to report suspicious activities to the authorities.
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