Police operatives have shot dead a member of a kidnap gang and rescued their victim in Warri, Delta State.

The state police spokesman, Bright Edafe, who disclosed this, said the kidnap hostage was rescued by the police from the booth of his Lexus car, adding that before freedom came his way, he had transfered N700,000 from his phone to his abductors.

The police image maker said the hostage was ordered into the booth of his vehicle by his kidnappers after they brandished a local gun at him on Jakpa Road, where they hit his vehicle from the rear with their Keke and he came down to look at the damage on his car.

The kidnappers, who took over his Lexus car, ran into a police checkpoint and one of them armed with the local gun, who tried to escape was shot dead by men of the police.

“Police patrol team attached to Ebrumede Police station while on stop and search duty flagged down a Lexuz Saloon car but the occupant on noticing the police, jumped down from the vehicle with a double barrel gun and took to their heels. Some of the police operatives gave them a hot chase during which one of them bearing the firearm was nuetralised while others escaped.

“On a closer look at the abandoned vehicle, a kidnapped victim was seen blindfolded. He was immediately rescued by the operatives and taken to the police station where he stated that he was kidnapped on Jakpa Road, Warri on same date about 2100hours, when the suspected kidnappers using a tricycle hit his vehicle from behind, and in an attempt to confront them, they brought out the double barrel gun and forced him into his own vehicle.

“Before he was rescued, he had already paid sum of N700,000 ransom to their account through bank transfer. Victim has been reunited with his family while manhunt for the other fleeing suspects is ongoing.”(Vanguard)