ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman, Esther Chinedu, who was abducted in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, after spending nearly one month in captivity.

The victim was abducted on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after suspected kidnappers reportedly stormed her phone shop under the guise of wanting to buy an item.

The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Ajao Adewale, disclosed this on Sunday morning while briefing journalists on the successful operation, saying the woman was rescued unhurt from the kidnappers’ hideout in Ogumbri Forest, South-Dajo area.

Adewale said the command received a distress call at about 7 pm on the day of the abduction and immediately activated its intelligence network to track the perpetrators.

He said intelligence gathering, including digital and local sources, eventually provided clues on the movements of the kidnappers and their ransom negotiations with the victim’s family.

According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N100m but later reduced the ransom to N20m.

The CP said operatives of the command’s Crime Response Squad, led by CSP Chris Mark, relocated to Ogumbri Forest five days before the final operation and began closing in on the suspects.

He said the operatives stormed the kidnappers’ camp at about 1:45 a.m., rescuing the victim and arresting one of the suspected kidnappers.

The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Mark from Akemfa 1 community, was arrested during the operation.

The CP said the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.

According to Adewale, the suspects approached the woman’s shop under the pretext of buying food before taking advantage of the situation to abduct her.

“They surveyed the environment and saw that the woman was not sufficiently protected. They abducted her, put her in a vehicle and moved her to the riverside, where she was ferried to the camp,” he said.

The police commissioner said the rescue operation involved personnel from the Crime Response Squad, the Federal Criminal Investigation Unit and the Marine Department.

He commended the officers and men who participated in the operation, particularly those who endured difficult conditions on the river while tracking the kidnappers.

He also appreciated the Bayelsa State Government, led by Governor Douye Diri, for providing logistical support for the operation.

Adewale warned criminals operating in the state that the command would continue to hunt them down.

Husband recounts ordeal
The victim’s husband, who spoke after the rescue, recounted the difficult period he went through while negotiating with the kidnappers for his wife’s release.

He said he travelled to Abia State early on July 28 to purchase mattresses and began receiving strange calls after 8 a.m., informing him that his wife had been kidnapped.

“I have been in Bayelsa for the past 20 years. I have not had anything kidnapping in Amassoma. Why is it my wife?” he recalled asking himself when he first received the information.

The husband said he later contacted one of the callers, who confirmed that his wife had been abducted.

He said the Divisional Police Officer also contacted him and informed him that two patrol teams had been deployed to his residence along Amassoma Road.

According to him, while returning to Bayelsa, he received a call from his wife’s phone demanding N2m, with instructions to transfer N1m each into two different accounts.

He said he only had N300,000 in his account and transferred the money to one of the accounts supplied by the kidnappers.

However, after he arrived in Amassoma, the kidnappers called again and instructed him not to pay into the previous account.

He said one of the suspects then took over the phone and increased the ransom demand to N100m.

The husband said the kidnappers later reduced the demand to N20m after he pleaded with them, explaining that he did not have the money.

He said the negotiations continued for days, during which the kidnappers subsequently demanded N3m.

According to him, he eventually managed to raise another N1.5m, which he transferred to an account provided by the kidnappers.

He said the total amount paid was therefore about N1.8m, but the kidnappers continued to demand more money.

The husband said the situation also created tension between members of both families, as his wife’s mother reportedly confronted his own mother over the delay in securing her daughter’s release.

He said the kidnappers later demanded another N3.5m and promised to release his wife after the payment.

The husband said he eventually received the call that the police had rescued his wife.

“When they called me and said, ‘Come around and hand over your wife to me,’ that was when I knew the police had carried out their mission,” he said.

He described the period of his wife’s captivity as extremely difficult, saying he had to keep their children away from their home for their safety.

He said his young son repeatedly asked about his mother and that he struggled to explain her absence.

“When I went there yesterday, my last one was like, ‘Where is your mummy?’ I don’t really know what to answer the little boy,” he said.

Victim: ‘The place was very terrible’
The rescued woman also recounted how she was abducted and taken to the forest.

She said the kidnappers came to her shop pretending to buy something before bringing out guns.

“They said they wanted to buy something from my shop. Then, as I entered inside, that was when they brought out the gun and carried me,” she said.

She said the kidnappers left her daughter and another woman who was at the shop before taking her away.

According to her, she was moved through several boats before arriving at the location where she was held.

She said she did not know the exact location and described the environment as extremely difficult.

“There was like two, three days to be one month. And the place was very terrible, very, very terrible,” she said.

The woman said the kidnappers gave her food, but she often refused to eat because of her emotional state.

She said she was not sexually assaulted and was not seriously beaten during her captivity, except for one occasion when one of the kidnappers hit her while she was praying.

She also confirmed that the kidnappers initially demanded N100m before eventually reducing the ransom to N20m.

The victim expressed gratitude to the police for rescuing her.

“I thank the glory to Almighty God and to you people that rescued me,” she said.

She prayed for the officers involved in the operation, saying, “May God keep, strengthen and guide them. Also, may all that they want, may God provide it for them.”

The successful operation comes amid renewed efforts by the Bayelsa State Police Command to intensify its fight against kidnapping and other forms of criminality in the state.

CP Adewale assured residents that the command would continue to work with relevant stakeholders to make the state increasingly difficult for criminals to operate.

He urged residents to support the police with useful information and advised youths to take advantage of legitimate economic and empowerment opportunities rather than resort to crime.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Grief has enveloped Ihima community in Okehi Local Government Area after four members of the same family died hours after eating a meal of amala.

In a chilling detail, the family’s dog also died after consuming leftovers from the same meal.

—Govt Orders Immediate Investigation—

The Kogi State Government has moved to unravel what happened.

In a statement on Saturday, Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said Governor Ahmed Ododo has directed the Commissioner for Health to launch a full investigation.

“The Chief Servant is deeply concerned by this tragic incident and has directed the Commissioner for Health to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, with particular attention to the possibility of food poisoning or food contamination,” Fanwo said.

According to the governor’s directive:

– Investigators must establish the facts around the deaths
– Determine whether the food consumed was contaminated
– Examine whether any other medical or environmental factor contributed
– Ensure “relevant samples and available evidence” are tested under standard public health procedures

—Community In Shock—

Residents of Ihima described the incident as devastating. The fact that the family dog also died after eating the same amala has heightened fears of possible food poisoning or contamination.

Health officials are expected to visit the home, collect food samples, and interview neighbours as part of the probe.

As of press time, the identities of the victims had not been officially released by the state government.

Governor Ododo has sympathised with the bereaved family and assured residents that the findings of the investigation will be made public.

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Anxiety has reportedly spread through the leadership of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) following the elimination of a senior commander identified as WAL-GEGE by the Nigerian Air Force Component of Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK) around the Gargash axis of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama that WAL-GEGE was eliminated while riding a motorcycle along the main route near the terrorists’ Markaz, close to the Gargash hideout.

The strike, according to the sources, was conducted as part of ongoing intelligence-led air operations aimed at disrupting the movement and leadership structure of ISWAP elements operating around the Dikwa axis.

Sources said the elimination has generated concern within the terrorist group, particularly because the commander was reportedly moving through an area considered to be under the group’s control.

The incident has reportedly triggered an internal investigation among ISWAP elements, with members accusing unidentified insiders of leaking information about the commander’s movement to the military.

According to intelligence gathered by Zagazola Makama, the terrorists have become increasingly suspicious of information leaks within their ranks and are reportedly reviewing their communication and movement procedures following the strike.

The sources said the development has also prompted ISWAP elements to consider restricting the use of mobile phones among field commanders and fighters for fear that their movements could be detected through communications or other intelligence capabilities.

The reaction reflects the growing pressure on the terrorist group as Nigerian security forces intensify surveillance and precision operations against its commanders, logistics networks and hideouts across the Lake Chad Basin.

WAL-GEGE’s elimination is particularly significant because the loss of senior field commanders can disrupt the coordination of fighters, movement of logistics and execution of attacks.

Military operations in the Dikwa axis have increasingly focused on identifying terrorist concentrations and disrupting their freedom of movement before they can launch attacks against troops or vulnerable communities.

The development also highlights the importance of intelligence gathering in the counter-insurgency campaign.

While terrorist groups frequently attempt to conceal their movements through motorcycles, couriers and other forms of communication, security forces continue to employ multiple intelligence sources to identify and track key operatives.

The reported decision by ISWAP elements to reduce or abandon mobile-phone use could therefore complicate their internal communications and command-and-control arrangements.

However, security sources cautioned that the terrorists remain capable of adapting their tactics and could resort to alternative methods of communication and movement.

The elimination of WAL-GEGE comes amid sustained military pressure against ISWAP and other terrorist elements operating in Borno State, with troops and the Nigerian Air Force maintaining operations designed to degrade their leadership, logistics and operational capabilities.

The military has continued to combine intelligence-driven air operations with ground clearance and surveillance missions to prevent terrorists from establishing secure bases and freedom of movement.

Although the full operational impact of WAL-GEGE’s elimination is yet to be established, the reported reaction within ISWAP indicates that the group considers the loss of senior commanders a serious security setback.

The emerging internal suspicion over possible information leaks could further undermine trust within the terrorist network and force commanders to adopt more restrictive movement and communication procedures.