The Cross River State Police Command has on Tuesday confirmed the arrest of one of the suspected abductors of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) pastor, Sunday Adeniran and the female teacher who were kidnapped on Saturday in Calabar.
The arrest was made on Tuesday morning according to police sources.
The Anti-Kidnapping and Cultism Squad (AKCS) had launched a manhunt for the kidnappers on the strict directives of the State Commissioner of Police, CP Aminu Alhassan.
One of the suspects is part of the 30-man gang that has been terrorising residents of Odukpani, Adiabo and Nasarawa Bacoco areas of 8-miles, Calabar Municipality, police sources said.
A police source alerted journalists on Tuesday that at about 4:30 am, based on credible intelligence, 26-year-old Felix Essien who is part of the gang was apprehended by the police.
“Felix Etim (a.k.a “Mboto”), a suspected armed robber and kidnapper who was part of the 30-man gang terrorising 8 Miles was arrested this morning.
“He confessed that he was part of a gang that kidnapped Pastor Sunday Adeniran and a female teacher last Saturday, he also revealed that they abducted one Ogwa Samuel Godwin on 29 September 2022 at 8 Miles,” the source revealed.
Police sources disclosed that the suspect tried to engage AKCS in a gun duel when he sighted them thinking some of his group would support him, but he was “neutralised” and arrested with bullet wounds on the ankle, while some of the gang members who were with him at the time fled.
It would be recalled that there was massive deployment of plain cloth security operatives in the area to curb the rising menace of armed robbery and kidnapping.
Confirming the arrest, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Irene Ugbo, said the suspect was now in their custody.
“He belongs to a 30-man gang that has been terrorizing residents of 8 miles, and we arrested him in the early hours of today while we are on the trail of others involved in the kidnap of Pst Sunday Adeniran and the teacher.
“We have a big challenge which is lack of vehicles. In spite of that, we are still making progress with the little we are given. I won’t fail to appeal to the public to assist by always giving us useful information always.
“We commend the efforts of SP Alhameed Awodi, Commander of the Anti Kidnapping and Cultism Squad, for their apt response which is yielding result every day,” she said.
