A suspected kidnapper has been arrested in Delta State.

The police spokesman in the state, Bright Edafe, said on Sunday that operatives, in collaboration with local vigilantes, arrested the suspect on December 2.

He stated that the 26-year-old suspect and members of his gang, still at large, laid siege on Irri Roundabout in Oleh, near Warri, to abduct their victim who had recently returned from Europe.

“On December 2 at about 11:43 p.m., the police received a distress call from vigilantes deployed around Irri Roundabout in Oleh that some hoodlums were sighted in a white Toyota Hilux van without a registration number.

“In an attempt to kidnap one man who recently returned from Europe, a disagreement ensued between them which made residents in the area become suspicious and alerted the vigilante.

“A carefully planned operation led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect while other members of the gang escaped in the Hilux van.

“Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to being part of the gang that kidnapped a 63-year-old woman on November 30 and later abandoned her when they noticed that the police was closing in on them,” Mr Edafe stated.

He added that the suspect led police operatives to his house where one AK-47 rifle, 19 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, one magazine, one pump-action gun and 26 live cartridges were recovered.

The spokesman said that the items were concealed in a sack and buried in the suspect’s compound.

He added that a manhunt for the fleeing members of the gang was ongoing.