A joint security team in Enugu State has rescued one of three persons abducted by suspected armed men during an attack on a church in Affa Community, Udi Local Government Area.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Inoyi, Affa Community, where the gunmen reportedly abducted three worshippers within the church premises.
According to the Enugu State Police Command, a combined team of Police operatives, Forest Guards and members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group swiftly launched a rescue operation, forcing the fleeing suspects to abandon one of the victims, who was rescued unharmed.
The assailants, however, escaped with the remaining two victims, prompting an intensified manhunt by security agencies.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has directed the Area Commander in Oji-River and the Head of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to deploy all available operational resources to ensure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and the arrest of the suspects.
The Police Commissioner also instructed the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) to generate actionable human and technical intelligence to support the operation. He further ordered the activation of the surveillance and technical capabilities of the Enugu State Command-and-Control Centre to strengthen ongoing rescue efforts.
While assuring residents that every available resource is being deployed to secure the release of the remaining victims, CP Giwa urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible and actionable information that could aid the rescue operation and the arrest of the perpetrators.
The Police advised residents to report useful information through the Command’s emergency lines or via its official email address.
The statement was signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Daniel Ndukwe.
