Police in Rivers State have arrested Joseph Abibo, a suspected kidnapper, following a failed abduction attempt on Fadi Nasser in Port Harcourt. The incident occurred in the early hours of March 20 when armed men stormed Nasser's residence along Woji Road in the Government Reserved Area (GRA). CSP Grace-Iringe-Koko, spokesperson for the Rivers Police Command, said the victim escaped after the attackers opened fire, enabling a rapid police response.
A mobile phone left at the scene provided critical leads, allowing operatives to track and arrest Abibo using technical intelligence. Upon interrogation, he disclosed the location of the gang's hideout. When police moved in, they were met with heavy gunfire. A shootout ensued, during which six other suspects fled into a nearby river with gunshot wounds.
Two AK-47 rifles, four magazines, and 108 rounds of ammunition were recovered from the hideout. Iringe-Koko confirmed that a manhunt is underway to capture the escaped suspects. She attributed the breakthrough to intelligence gathering and urged residents to assist in locating the fugitives. The operation is part of broader efforts to dismantle kidnapping networks in the state.
A single escaped victim and a discarded phone did more to disrupt a kidnapping ring than months of public safety assurances. Joseph Abibo's arrest and the recovery of military-grade weapons expose how deeply armed gangs are embedded in Port Harcourt's urban landscape. If six suspects could vanish into a river despite a police shootout, the real story isn't the arrest—it's the ease with which armed men slip away. For residents in GRA and beyond, the danger hasn't passed; it's just on the run.
