From Seyi Tayese, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State Police Command has rescued a 42-year-old woman, Sarah Chinedu, who was abducted in Amassoma, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state, after spending nearly one month in captivity.
The woman is an indigene of Ebonyi State and resident in Amassoma in Southern Ijaw Local Council area.
The victim was abducted on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after suspected kidnappers reportedly stormed her foam shop under the guise of wanting to buy an item.
The Commissioner of Police, Bayelsa State Command, CP Ajao Adewale, disclosed this on Sunday morning while briefing journalists on the successful operation carried out by men of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, saying the woman was rescued unhurt from the kidnappers’ hideout in Ogobiri Forest, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the State.
Adewale said the command received a distress call at about 7 pm on the day of the abduction and immediately activated its intelligence network to track the perpetrators.
He said intelligence gathering, including digital and local sources, eventually provided clues on the movements of the kidnappers and their ransom negotiations with the victim’s family.
According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N100m but later reduced the ransom to N20m. And reportedly collected N1.5million for “refreshments” from the Husband.
The CP said operatives of the command’s Violent Crime Response Squad, led by CSP Chris Nwaogbo, relocated to Ogboinbiri Forest five days before the final operation and began closing in on the suspects.
He said the operatives stormed the kidnappers’ camp at about 1:45 a.m., rescuing the victim and arresting one of the suspected kidnappers.
The suspect, identified as 33-year-old Mark from Akenfa 1 community, was arrested during the operation.
The CP said the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.
The CP said the suspect had confessed to his involvement in the abduction and explained how the gang allegedly carried out the operation.
According to Adewale, the suspects claimed to have approached the woman’s shop, where foams are sold, under the pretext of buying foam before taking advantage of the situation to abduct her.
“They surveyed the environment and saw that the woman was not sufficiently protected. They abducted her, put her in a vehicle and moved her to the riverside, where she was ferried to the camp,” he said.
The police commissioner said the rescue operation involved personnel from the Violent Crime Response Squad, the Federal Criminal Investigation Unit and the Marine Department.
He commended the officers and men who participated in the operation, particularly those who endured difficult conditions on the river while tracking the kidnappers.
