A foreigner is among the six suspected kidnappers arrested by the police in Akwa Ibom State, south-south Nigeria.
In a statement on Thursday, the police spokesperson in the state, Timfon John, identified the suspect as Tita Masume, a Cameroonian.
Other suspects, according to Ms John, are Oyibo Brown from Bayelsa State, Wisdom Harry from Rivers State, Afanye Igonikon from Rivers State, and Dare Olaniyi from Ogun State, all residing at Enugu Waterside, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The police said their arrest followed credible intelligence that the suspects were targeting and planning to kidnap key personnel within the Eket area of the state.
“Acting on the information, operatives of the command mobilised assets, resulting in the arrest of Joseph Alafia, a male, in Oron Town on Tuesday,” Ms John said.
The arrest of Mr Alafia led the operatives to raid two locations in the Eket axis of the state, where the six suspects were arrested.
Ms John said the police recovered a Lexus RX 300 vehicle and five mobile phones from the suspect.
“The arrested suspects are believed to be connected to recent kidnapping incidents within Eket and are currently undergoing intensive interrogation,” said the police spokesperson.
This newspaper last month reported how gunmen in army uniforms abducted an entrepreneur in Eket, Eket Local Government Area of the state.
The victim, whom the police identified as Dennis Ajah, was reportedly abducted on his business premises at 94 Afaha Eket Road, Eket, on 10 April.
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