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The police in Rivers State have rescued the kidnapped female lawyer, Paulette Bisola Ajayi, and an employee of the British High Commission, Paul Nyulaku, after engaging their abductors in a gun duel.

Ajayi and Nyulaku were kidnapped on Sunday at different parts of Port Harcourt, the state capital and whisked away to a forest in the state by members of the same gang, who demanded ransoms from their families.

Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan, said operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit in a sting operation rescued the victims at Okomoko forest in Etche Local Government Area of the state.

Mukan said the operatives stormed the hideout of the kidnappers at about 9:30pm on Wednesday and engaged the kidnappers in a gun battle.

He said one of the kidnappers, Chinedu Chigbu, 39, was fatally injured during the shootout and later died in a hospital while others escaped into the bush with bullet wounds.

He said: “Their camp was immediately destroyed. Exhibits recovered from them include one AK47 rifle, a fully loaded magazine and 100 rounds of live ammunition. Efforts are on to arrest members of the gang.

“The public particularly residents of Etche and Eberi-Omuma LGA are hereby enjoined to increase their security consciousness and report anybody with gunshot wounds to the nearest police station”