Abducted NDLEA Director in Anambra Regains Freedom After Days in Captivity

The Anambra State Director of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Mr. John Uche, has been released from captivity days after being abducted by unknown gunmen. 

The senior narcotics officer was freed unharmed following what authorities described as "intense pressure operations" by security forces.  

Uche was seized last Wednesday while traveling along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway, a route that has become increasingly dangerous due to frequent kidnappings. His captors had demanded a hefty ransom, though authorities insist no payment was made to secure his release.  

Anambra State Police Commissioner Aderemi Adeoye confirmed the development, stating that coordinated operations between police, military, and local vigilante groups forced the kidnappers to abandon their victim. "We applied both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches that left the abductors with no choice but to release their captive," Adeoye explained, without providing specific operational details.  

The freed NDLEA director has been debriefed by security agencies and is currently receiving medical evaluation at an undisclosed facility. Colleagues describe him as being in stable condition despite the traumatic experience.  

This incident highlights the worsening security situation in Nigeria's southeast, where kidnapping for ransom has become rampant. Just last month, a prominent businessman was abducted along the same route and later released after paying millions in ransom.  

NDLEA Chairman Mohamed Buba Marwa has ordered enhanced security protocols for agency personnel nationwide, while Anambra Governor Chukwuma Soludo has vowed to dismantle kidnapping networks operating in the state. Security analysts warn that without improved road security and intelligence gathering, such abductions will likely continue plaguing the region.