 |
| The suspects |
 |
| Okoye |
Detectives attached to
the Inspector-General of Police, Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have
arrested six suspected kidnappers and rescued their 76-year-old hypertensive
victim, Benjamin Okoye in Abia State.
The victim was rescued
on December 12, after the IRT men smashed the kidnapping gang and grabbed six
suspects.
Items recovered from
the suspects are two AK47 rifles, six magazines loaded with 180 rounds of live
ammunition, all hidden in a special compartment constructed under the
operational car of the kidnappers.
The arrest of the
suspects and rescue of Okoye, followed abduction of the victim on December 15
in Abia State and subsequent demand of N80 million ransom by the kidnappers. On
December 18, IRT operatives were drafted into the case.
The victim is a major
importer and a business man in Aba who was reported to be an indigene of
Anambra State.
A police source said:
“The IRT operatives were instructed by the IGP, Ibrahim Idris to take over the
case. The detectives immediately swung into action and eventually arrested two
of the kidnappers in Aba town. The suspects took combined teams of IRT
operatives and policemen from Abia State Police Command to the kidnappers’ camp
at Okpukwu Umuobo area of Aba town. The
camp is a three bedroom house, rented and used for camping abducted victims.
The operatives raided the camp and rescued the ailing Okoye. He is a
hypertensive patient that had been held captive with his medicine. He was
rescued and four other kidnappers were arrested at the camp. These four
suspects challenged the police teams to a gun battle, leading to them
sustaining bullet wounds.”
The six suspects, who
are presently in police custody are Chinonye Anoro 26, Prince Sylvester 35, owner
and driver of the operational bus. The bus had been used for eight operations
in Aba.
Another suspect is Kingsley
Papa, 45, Ugbonabo Danjuma 43, who is the gang leader, Moses Clever 31 and Ogoro
James 26.
The police source
further said: “All the suspects confessed to several other kidnappings within
Aba and other parts of Abia State. Four out of the six kidnappers further confessed
that they formed their gang from the Prison. They were released from prison
this October. They recruited others and embarked on a kidnapping spree. The two
AK47 rifles used for their operations were also recovered in a special compartment
they constructed under their operational Golf car. Police are working to arrest
other fleeing members of the gang.”
The Abia State
Commissioner of Police, Mr Anthony Ogbizi, yesterday, announced that Okoye
later died after being rescued.
Parading the suspects,
Ogbizi announced that he just got a report that the victim has just died.
Wearing a mournful
look on his face, the CP asked the suspects: "Now that your victim has
died, what have you gained? The suspects were engaged in a gun battle by a
combined team of IRT operatives, right in the bungalow of the suspects. The
bungalow is located at the World Bank Housing Estate in Aba. The IRT operatives
had smashed many crimes and are behind this present success. During the gun
battle, no life was lost. It was an excellent job. The rules of engagement was
strictly observed.”
Ogbizi said that since
the IRT operatives came into Abia State, crime has reduced. He said: “For instance,
two weeks ago at Ukwa Community, nine suspected kidnappers were arrested. Today,
the people of that area will have peace. We assure citizens of Abia State, peace
and security, especially during this Yuletides."
Ogbizi said that it
was difficult for the gang and other criminals to escape because of the
security network built in the state. He said that the method now adopted by the
criminals was to tail prospective victims to their homes, using tricycle, after
which they would abduct them.
One of the suspects
with gunshot wound, Sylvester, said: “I’m not a member of the kidnappers. But
they used to take my mini bus to carry out their operations. Each time they
used the bus, they give me some money. The gang has used my bus twice and gave
me N400, 000. I protested that they should not use the bus again. I used the
money to pay off debts.”
Anorue, 26, said he
was in his shop when one of the suspects, Sylvester came and told him that
there was somebody they wanted to carry. He said that he drove the bus to pick
the victim when he and others were arrested.
The leader of the gang, Sylvester has been identified
as a shop owner at the popular Eziukwu/Cemetery Market in Aba. He is the
information source of the gang.
The hoodlums, who were said to have kidnapped the
importer's son not too long ago still went back to kidnap the importer with the
sole aim of extracting more money from him. It was learnt that the hoodlums on
sighting the police engaged them in a gun duel and was later being overpowered
by the police team.
No comments:
Post a Comment