The
76-year-old wife of the traditional ruler of Ihitteoha Uratta Community, Owerri
North council area of Imo State, Ugoeze Comfort Okoro, who was kidnapped late
January, has died in captivity.
The family
of the deceased confirmed her death. The corpse of the woman was found
along a village road in Akabor community in Oguta Local Government Area of the Imo
State.
This is also
as the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Police Command; following valid
intelligence raided the house of Okey Uche, who is from the same village as the
deceased. Incidentally, Uche is currently serving prison term at the Owerri
Correctional Center. He, however, was fingered in the kidnap of the deceased.
Police are
working on the theory that Uche masterminded the abduction of Comfort. Uche’s
wife, it was alleged, harboured the kidnappers in her house until the police
raid that smoked them out of the hideout.
The
monarch's wife was kidnapped in the presence of her husband and other domestic
staff on January 26, 2020, barely a month after the monarch and wife celebrated
their golden jubilee wedding anniversary.
Prince Paul
Okoro, younger brother to His Royal Highness, Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okoro, who
confirmed the incident said the death of the deceased came after the family had
paid the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
According to
him, the body of the woman was found last Sunday afternoon at Akabor Oguta,
where the kidnappers dumped it.
His words: "On
January 26, 2020, a group of boys stormed the palace here and rounded up the
guards and other people at gunpoint. They met the Eze and his wife upstairs at
about 8.30 pm. The kidnappers collected everybody's phones, including that of
the Eze. They took Ugoeze away. It was after they left that one of the servants
came to me, to call the president general of the community. We waited for a
ransom demand from the kidnapper but none came until three days later when they
called her daughter. The daughter is the wife of the member, representing
Owerri Federal Constituency, Ikenna Elezianya, demanding a ransom for her
mother.”
Efforts made
to speak with the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) on the
matter proved abortive.
According to
a Police source, the Police have arrested some people in connection with the
abduction and death of the woman. The Police are also said to be on the trail
of other fleeing members of the gang.
Meanwhile,
the demolition of the prime suspect’s home in line with the Anti-kidnapping Law
of Imo State may have commenced as our correspondence met parts of his house
and shop of his wife destroyed and ransacked.
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