Two suspected kidnappers have been shot dead and two abducted victims rescued after a fierce gun battle between security operatives and a kidnap gang in a forest in Imo State.

According to a statement by the Imo State Police Command spokesperson, Ani Iniedu, the operation was launched after police received credible intelligence on the location of a kidnap syndicate believed to be holding victims in a remote forested area.

Acting on the tip-off, a combined team of police operatives and local vigilantes moved into the forest in a coordinated raid. As the team approached the suspected camp, the kidnappers allegedly opened fire, triggering a prolonged exchange of gunshots.

Iniedu said the security team responded forcefully, overrunning the hideout. Two members of the kidnap gang were fatally hit during the confrontation, while others reportedly fled into the bush with gunshot wounds.

He explained that the operation was carefully executed to avoid harming the captives. The two victims held by the gang were eventually found and freed without sustaining any injuries.

“The hoodlums engaged the operatives in a gun duel, resulting in the neutralisation of two kidnappers while others escaped with gunshot injuries. The two kidnapped victims were successfully rescued unharmed,” the police spokesperson said.

The rescue, however, came at a cost. One member of the local vigilante group who took part in the raid was shot during the exchange of fire. He was rushed to a nearby hospital but was later confirmed dead.

“Regrettably, one vigilante sustained a fatal gunshot injury and was confirmed dead at the hospital,” Iniedu added, praising the courage of the community volunteers who have been working with security agencies to tackle rising insecurity in the state.

The police said the State Criminal Investigation Department in Owerri has taken over the case. Investigators are tracking the fleeing suspects and probing the wider network behind the kidnap operation, including possible informants and financiers.

The command urged residents to remain vigilant and continue to share timely information on suspicious movements, assuring that all actionable intelligence would be treated with urgency and confidentiality as part of ongoing efforts to dismantle kidnap gangs operating in and around Imo’s forests.