Abducted Imo monarch miraculously escapes from kidnappers’ den

Tayo AFOLABI

Traditional ruler of Umudi in Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Joel Udenkwo escaped from his abductors’ den miraculously on Monday night.

Recall, the monarch, “Udekings”, was abducted last Friday on Tetlow Road Owerri, where his electronics shop is located.

Eze Udenkwo, in Owerri narrated that his abductors took him to a forest in Okwu village in Ikeduru Local Government Area where he was tied with a rope and kept at a place waiting for their ₦200 million ransom.

He said the ransom was later reduced to N12 million but while they were waiting for the money to be sent, one of the abductors went to sleep while the other went to smoke Indian hemp.

“It was when I noticed that the two men were nowhere around me that I carefully untied myself, quietly crawled and left the scene.

“I meandered through the bush and found safety at a nearby house where I called out the occupants whom I narrated my ordeal to and begged them to help me call a monarch around the community after identifying myself as a monarch. Meanwhile, this was happening around 10pm.

“On getting the monarch of the place, he then linked up with the Chairman, Imo State Council of Traditional Rulers who called in the police and the DSS who came and took me away,” Eze Udenkwo narrated.

The police spokesman, CSP Michael Abattam said that he would like to confirm from the police division in the area when contacted.

As at the time of filing this report, there has been no official statement from the Imo Police Command on the monarch’s escape.