Delta State’s SafeCity Security Service, in collaboration with operatives of the state police command, has arrested a wanted bandit, Abubakar Usman, following a rescue operation that freed a kidnapped woman.
Mrs Blessing Chiedu, a native of Umunede Kingdom, was abducted on July 2, 2026, along the Ani-Ifekide Farm Road in Ubulu-Uku, with her kidnappers demanding a ₦100 million ransom from her family.
The spokesperson for the SafeCity Security Service, Harrison Gwamnishu, disclosed on Wednesday that the incident was promptly escalated to the Delta State Police Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Squad in Asaba, led by CSP Osakpolor.
According to him, officers deployed the Hydra Tech Surveillance System to coordinate a rescue operation, leading to the successful rescue of Mrs Chiedu alive and unharmed along the Ubulu-Unor/Ashama Road.
Following her rescue, security operatives launched a manhunt for the fleeing kidnappers. In the early hours of Wednesday, the surveillance system traced the gang to their hideout in the Ogwashi-Uku/Adonta Forest.
Gwamnishu said, “A gun battle ensued, during which our combined team overpowered the criminals. One of the most wanted suspects, Abubakar Usman, was successfully captured, while other members of the gang escaped into the forest with their firearms.
“Investigations reveal that Abubakar Usman and his gang have been responsible for several kidnapping operations across Igbodo, Umunede, and surrounding communities, where they have extorted millions of naira in ransom from innocent families.”
