Operatives of the Enugu State Police Command have rescued a kidnapped woman and killed a suspected member of a criminal gang during a security operation in Okpuje, Nsukka Local Government Area of the state.
The operation was carried out following a distress call received around 10:10 a.m. on Friday, July 31, 2026, alerting authorities that armed kidnappers had emerged from a nearby forest and abducted a woman along Anuka Road, Okpuje.
Acting swiftly on the information, the Divisional Police Officer of Okpuje Division mobilized police personnel alongside forest guards and members of the local neighbourhood watch group to pursue the suspects. The team tracked the kidnappers into a forest around the Anuka area, close to the Enugu-Kogi State boundary.
A gun battle reportedly broke out between the security operatives and the criminals during the operation. One of the suspects was neutralized, while other gang members escaped into the forest with what were believed to be gunshot injuries.
The kidnapped woman was rescued safely, while her two children and motorcycle, which had been abandoned at the scene of the abduction, were recovered by the security team.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson of the Enugu State Police Command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, said the rescued victim and her children have been reunited with their family.
He added that security operatives have intensified efforts to locate and apprehend the fleeing suspects, as investigations and manhunt operations continue.
