Five suspected kidnappers arrested for Rivers stadium CSO, son’s death
The Rivers State Police Command said its operatives have arrested five suspected kidnappers who had been terrorising the capital, Port Harcourt and other parts of the state.
Also, the police said the suspects were members of a syndicate allegedly involved in the murder of the Chief Security Officer of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Richard Timothy, and his 23-year-old son, identified as Silas, at their residence near Port Harcourt in early February.
The police said their arrest followed actionable intelligence on the activities of the kidnappers leading to a raid by the anti-kidnapping unit.
The spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Iringe-Koko stated that the operation which lasted for about eight hours also resulted in the recovery of arms and ammunition from the miscreants.
The statement reads, “Following a series of kidnapping incidents within the Rukpokwu, Igwuruta, Omagwa, and Etche areas, operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on actionable intelligence, conducted a coordinated operation on March 8, 2025, commencing at approximately 09:30 am.
“The operation lasted for eight hours and resulted in the arrest of the following men: Mohammadu Bello, 30 years old, from Padiki LGA of Kwara State, residing in Rukpokwu; and Suleman Umar, 26 years old, from Hadeja LGA of Jigawa State, residing in Rukpokwu.
Others are Bello Amadu (35) from Keffi-Hausa LGA of Jigawa State, residing in Rukpokwu; Adamu Musa (30) from Hadeja LGA of Jigawa State, residing in Rukpokwu and Abubakar Mohammed (22) from Azare LGA of Bauchi State, residing in Rukpokwu.”
It continued, “ During interrogations, the suspects confessed to multiple kidnapping activities, including the tragic killing of the Chief Security Officer of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Omagwa where the CSO and his son were murdered in cold blood.”
The state police image maker listed items recovered from the suspects as follows: two AK-47 rifles and six AK-47 magazines, 66 rounds of ammunition and three locally made pistols.
Others are 10 live cartridges, several mobile phones and SIM cards, “ saying the suspects are currently in police custody and are cooperating with investigators.
“Efforts are ongoing to uncover details of other crimes committed by the syndicate and arrest others at large” she noted.
The command assured the public of its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents, noting that further updates on this investigation would be communicated in due course.
