FCT Police rescue unconcious lady from suspected ritualist, armed robber

● Launch manhunt for suspect

The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Command said it had rescued a young woman from the den of a suspected armed robber and ritualist.

The Command also said it had launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspect.

Advertisement

The police in a statement by SP Josephine Adeh, Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, said that on January 31, 2025, at approximately 11:30 am, the Command received a distress call from a hotel in the Wuse area of the nation’s capital, reporting suspicious activity in one of their rooms.

Adeh said that the police operatives responded swiftly by moving to the scene and discovered a 25-year-old lady, Promise Eze, from Ebonyi State, tied to a small chair with her mouth covered in plaster.

Promise Eze, according to the spokesperson of the police was found unconscious and in distress, following which officers acted immediately by freeing her from captivity and rushing her to Wuse District Hospital, where she was resuscitated.

The police said that preliminary investigations showed a disturbing pattern of deception and violence, adding that the victim had checked into the hotel a day earlier, on January 30, 2025, about 7:00 am., in the company of a man who identified himself as Emmanuel Okoro from Lagos State.

SP Edeh further said that during police questioning, the victim disclosed that she had met the suspect online, where he introduced himself under the alias Michael Prince, claiming to be an oil company employee based in Delta State.

The statement further said; “Initially, he invited her to Delta, but after she declined, they agreed to meet in Abuja.

“Tragically, what was meant to be an innocent meeting turned into a harrowing ordeal. The suspect allegedly brandished a dagger, using it to threaten and subdue the victim before restraining her by tying her hands and legs and taping her mouth shut inside the bathroom.

“He then fled the scene, stealing her two mobile phones. Alarmingly, before escaping, the victim overheard him speaking to suspected accomplices over the phone, informing them that he was on his way to regroup before returning to the hotel to “finish the job,” the police explained.

The statement also said that recognizing the gravity of this heinous act, the FCT Police Command has launched a full-scale manhunt for the suspect and is working tirelessly to ensure his immediate arrest.

The Commissioner of Police for the FCT, CP Olatunji Disu has condemned the act of violence and urged residents, especially young women, to “exercise caution when meeting individuals they do not know personally.”

CP Disu assured the public that the FCT Police Command remained unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all residents and therefore called on anyone with relevant information that could lead to the suspect’s arrest to immediately contact the police through the following: Emergency Lines: 08032003913 and Complaint Response Unit: 08107314192.

SP Adeh said that the Police Command in the FCT remained dedicated to safeguarding life and property and urged the public to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities, and cooperate with law enforcement to keep all communities safe.