[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Bayelsa Police Command has opened an investigation into the kidnapping of a 40-year-old lady by unidentified gunmen, following a worrying occurrence that shocked Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State.

Also read:Kidnappers demand N50 million ransom for abducted 70-year-old farmer in Ogun State

Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Alonyenu Idu, confirmed the incident to journalists on Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Idu revealed that four suspects, including the alleged mastermind’s girlfriend, have been apprehended in connection with the abduction.

Eyewitnesses reported that the kidnappers arrived at the business outlet of the victim in a patrol vehicle belonging to the IYC (Ijaw Youth Council), Central Zone, before forcibly taking her to an unknown destination.

Although police authorities asserted that the kidnappers had not yet contacted the family with ransom demands, sources close to the victim’s family claimed that the abductors had demanded a substantial N10 million for her safe release.

In response to the incident, top executives of the IYC have activated clan security networks to collaborate with the State Police Command in apprehending the mastermind and ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted businesswoman, without succumbing to ransom demands.

Commissioner of Police Alonyenu Idu disclosed that some of the suspects had been chased out of their hideout in the Isoku area of Rivers State before relocating to Yenagoa to continue their criminal activities. Notably, the mastermind behind the kidnapping is identified as an indigene of Ebonyi State.

“We have arrested the first layer of those who participated in the kidnapping. The girlfriend of the mastermind has been arrested,” Commissioner Idu confirmed. He further highlighted the joint efforts of the IYC leadership, community leaders, and the police in the ongoing manhunt for the mastermind, emphasizing that the peace in Bayelsa would not be disrupted.