The suspects were confirmed dead by a doctor at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.

The Rivers State Police Command have eliminated three suspected cultists and kidnappers causing havoc in the Emohua axis of the East-West Road of the state.

Commissioner of Police Nwonyi Polycarp Emeka, who briefed newsmen at the command’s headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt, said: “Operatives of the Rivers State Command on June 16, 2023, at 3:30 pm stormed the hideout of kidnappers, located at Ishiodu Forest in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State.

“On sighting the operatives, the kidnappers opened fire. But, due to the superior firepower of the operatives, three of the kidnappers were fatally wounded.”

The suspects were confirmed dead by a doctor at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, he added.

The commissioner of police disclosed further: “Two AK-47 with eight magazines, loaded with 70 rounds of live ammunition, and 10 cartridges were recovered from them. ”

Speaking on other developments, he disclosed that operatives of the command, while on routine patrol along School Road on June 2, discovered the corpse of a young man tied to a transformer with marks of injury all over the body.

The CP confirmed that a suspect has been arrested to help unravel the circumstances surrounding the death of the yet-to-be-identified young man.

Similarly, the command also recovered arms and a vehicle in a sand field around Old Port Harcourt Township.

Vowing that there will be no hiding place for criminals in the state, he said: “The process of ridding Rivers State of criminals and criminalities has started, and we will not leave any stone unturned to make sure we give our best.”