Rivers State Police Command has announced the arrest of Nwile Bete, 30, a suspected kidnap kingpin during an operation in Port Harcourt.

The operation also led to the rescue of a 10-year-old boy allegedly abducted by the suspect.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed the development in a statement issued in Port Harcourt on Friday.

She said that Bete allegedly kidnapped the boy on Nov. 25 and demanded a ransom of N5m for his release.

“After the minor was abducted, his mother reported the incident to the police, prompting the Anti-Kidnapping Unit to take swift action,” Iringe-Koko said.

She explained that officers, acting on credible intelligence, tracked Bete to Rumuekeni School Road in Rumuekeni Town, Port Harcourt, where he was apprehended.

“While in custody, Bete confessed to the crime and subsequently led operatives to Sogho village in Khana area, where the boy was rescued unharmed.

“The victim has since been debriefed and reunited with his family, while the suspect remains in custody,” she added.

Iringe-Koko confirmed that investigations are ongoing to apprehend the other members of Bete’s gang who are currently at large.

She assured that the suspect would face charges in court upon conclusion of the investigation.

“This arrest is a significant breakthrough and part of the police command’s broader strategy to tackle crime and criminal activities in Rivers state,” she said. (NAN)

Fire disaster kills husband,wife, grandson in Ibadan

Tragedy as husband, wife, grandson die in Ibadan fire outbreak

A fire incident has claimed the lives of a husband, his wife and their grandson which affected a storey building at Ori-Eru, Idikan area of Ibadan.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fire incident occurred in the early hours of Friday.

General Manager Oyo State Fire Services Agency, Mr Yemi Akinyinka, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Ibadan.

Akinyinka said the personnel of the agency received a distress call about the incident through a call made by one Hassan at exactly 3:46 a.m on Friday and immediately deployed personnel to the scene.

“On arrival we met an upper floor of a residential storey building of six rooms well alight and we swiftly swung into action and the fire was completely extinguished,” he said.

The general manager said three persons made up of a husband,his wife and their grandson lost their lives in the fire incident while five persons were rescued alive from the building.

According to him, the ground floor of the building and other nearby properties were saved from the inferno.

“From our investigation we discovered that in their attempt to keep their house warm because of the cold weather they resulted to use naked fire which result to fire disaster after they had slept off,” he said.

Akinyinka said that a team of Police men led by CSP Olaniyan Jibola from Mapo Division and that of Amotekun led by Mr Gbenga Akinyemi from North West Division were on ground to prevent break down of law and order. (NAN)