Police smash notorious kidnapping syndicate in Bayelsa, arrest 6 suspects

Operatives of the IGP Intelligence Response Team (IRT) in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Police Command, with the aid of technical intelligence generated from the IGP Technical Intelligence Unit (TIU) have arrested the ringleaders of a notorious kidnapping syndicate.

Confirming the arrest of the syndicate, the Police Public Relations Officer, Bayelsa Command, SP Asinim Butswat in a statement in Yenagoa, Monday, said the suspects’ activities cut across River, Bayelsa and Delta States, adding that they have made useful statements and identified other gang members who are at large.

He said items recovered from the syndicate include two Toyota vehicles and pictorial & video evidence of ransom collected from a Kidnapped victim.

According to Butswat, “the suspects include; one Longjohn Franklin m 24yrs old, alias ‘General Soft’, from Abalamabie Community, Bonny LGA, Rivers State. He is an ex-convict and the head of the kidnappers camp in the creeks, he also engages in sea piracy and illegal oil refining. Goodluck Ikiyou ‘m’ 30yrs old alias lastborn from Azuzuama Community, Southern Ijaw LGA, Bayelsa State. Chilowe Augustine ‘m’ 19yrs old from Edeoha Community, Ahoada East LGA Rivers State.


“Others include Thankgod Manacssh ‘m’ 28 alias Aki man or Axe man from Opobo town in Opobo-Nkoro LGA Rivers state. He is the 2nd in command of the deadly Iceland confraternity. Ogeneima Omoni ‘f’ 24 from Ogbokuma Community Abua/Odual LGA, Rivers state. She is a member of the syndicate & cooked for the kidnappers in their den, and Chimaobi Nmeribe m 47 from Umuahia-South LGA, Abia State.”