Kidnapping: Police parade suspects who took N.7m ransom, killed victim in Abia

 

 

Nkasi Kolie 

 

Abia police command has paraded seven members of two gangs of suspected kidnappers, one of which collected ransom and killed their victim. The command said the suspects were arrested in connection with a series of kidnappings and armed robberies in the state.

 

Parading the suspects in Umuahia, the state Commissioner of Police, Janet Agbede, said one Abia Daniel, 41, from Item in Bende Local Government Area, yesterday (Wednesday), at about 1900hrs, waylaid one Uzoma Ndubueze of No. 50, Ogwo Road by Ohanku Road, Aba, while he was driving into his house.

 

The commissioner said Daniel and his gang took their victim with his Lexus 330 SUV, ash in colour, to Ntigha area of Isiala Ngwa North, shot him dead after collecting N700,000 as ransom from the family.

 

Agbede disclosed that the phone of the victim was recovered from the gang leader, who confessed that they were nine in number.

 

Another member of the gang paraded is Kelechi Nnachi ‘m’, 24, of Edda in Afikpo South LGA, Ebonyi State.

 

The Commissioner of Police said on June 25 and 26, based on intelligence, the Command in collaboration with IGP 1RT operatives on ‘Operation Restore Peace Mission’ arrested five other suspects at different locations in the state in connection with a series of kidnapping and armed robbery.

 

She said the suspects confessed to have kidnapped more than six persons, including one Aniebue Onyebuchi, in Aba, and Chief Emmanuel Nnodim who they shot in one of his eyes after robbing him.

 

The suspects paraded include Samuel Udochukwu ‘m’, 26, from Abala, Obingwa LGA who is second in command of the gang; Emeka Okedum, ‘m’ a native of Osah Ukwu, Obingwa LGA and Udo Onwukwe ‘m’, 48, from Urnuonu,  Obingwa LGA, who is the Armorer and Camp provider of the gang.

 

Others are Okechukwu Obioma ‘m’, 31, of Umual Ntigha, Obingwa LGA, who acted as Guard for victims; Saviour Akpan ‘m’, 27, of lkoro Esenan in Orukanam LGA, Akwa Ibom State, who was the gang’s driver.

 

The CP disclosed that some of the victims identified the suspects.

 

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one AK47 rifle with breach No. TC 6664 with 25 rounds of live ammunition, one pump action gun with 10 live cartridges, one locally made double barrel cut to size gun with 10 live cartridges, one volkswagen Jetta car and one victim’s Techno Spark phone.