The Imo State Police Command has arrested a suspect linked to kidnapping and organ harvesting even as their 19-year-old girl victim was rescued from the suspects.
Spokesperson of police in Imo state, Henry Okoye, in a statement, disclosed that the syndicate was busted after vigilant operatives on patrol along Douglas Road noticed how a young girl in a blue and white bus was abducted in Owerri, and gave the hoodlums a hot chase.
Okoye said already, one suspect, Justine Emmanuel, a 38-year-old male from Amaimo in Ikeduru Local Government Area of the state, was arrested, while the 19-year-old young lady, whose name is withheld for privacy, was rescued.
He said: “Vigilant operatives on visibility patrol, observed the syndicate in a blue and white bus forcefully taking the young girl to an undisclosed location where they intended to kill her and harvest her organs. During the chase, the victim managed to jump from the bus and was immediately rescued.
“The police engaged in a hot pursuit, leading to the abandonment of the vehicle and the arrest of one suspect, while others escaped into the nearby bush,”
According to the police spokesperson, the police are “conducting further investigations to identify additional members of the syndicate and assess the full extent of their criminal activities.”
He added that the successful rescue operation “underscores the Imo State Police Command’s commitment to combating violent crime and ensuring community safety. “
He urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities, adding that further updates will be provided as the investigation unfolds.
Residents in Owerri had raised the alarm over the sudden disappearance of people after boarding supposed commercial buses and how some persons were discovered dead with certain body parts severed from the body.
