Police kill suspected kidnapper, rescue victim

ASABA—The police in Delta State yesterday, after a fierce battle, shot dead a suspected kidnapper and rescued a teacher, Mr Abemu Gabriel, kidnapped in the early hours of the morning.Vanguard learned that the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, Isiokolo, Ethiope East Local Government Area, of the state, personally led his men to chase the kidnap gang when he received a distress call that a citizen was abducted.Mr Gabriel, from Oviere, who teaches at Oruodo Primary School in the council area, was kidnapped at a railway line at Okpara and whisked away to a hideout by his captors.
Police reportedly cordoned exit points to track the movement of the gangsters, and thereafter,   trailed the gang to Utiyo village in the community.The kidnappers allegedly opened fire on the police team as soon as they sighted the law enforcement agents.The DPO, who was battle-ready with his men , returned fire, fatally wounding one of the suspects who died of excessive loss of blood before medical attention could reach him.The liberated victim, according to a police source, is receiving medical attention at a hospital in the area as at 1.30 pm yesterday.The search is on for fleeing members of the gang.