Kidnapping has been a booming business in recent times especially in the southern part of the country. No day passes-by without the news of one or two persons kidnapped and demands for ransom made. It has become so rampant in that part of the country that prominent men and women from the area are now afraid of travelling to their various states especially during festivals for fear of being kidnapped. However, in this piece, ANN PHILIP-AGUNWA writes that the Police in Asaba, the Delta state capital made a breakthrough in its efforts to clamp down on the kidnappers as they arrested a nursing mother, her husband and 10 other suspected kidnappers.
Child kidnapping has been on the increase in Nigeria
Little did I know that it was a planned deal with the kidnappers, they hit me at the back while I was still urinating, immediately the driver sped off and they overpowered me with their gun and took me to the bush.
They manhandled me, but did not tie my eyes and that is why I can recognize them, they were 11 in number and that woman with them was preparing pap for the kidnappers and she is nursing about a 9-months old baby
Delta State Police Command has arrested five suspected kidnappers that recently abducted one Abugu Emmanuel Onyekachi of Agbonlahor Street off Kpoga Street, Ikpoba Hill Benin city around Emuhu village, Delta state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, ASP Lucky Uyabeme who disclosed this newsmen in Asaba while parading the suspects gave the names of the suspects who are all from Emuhu village as Sunday Okonye ’m’, Abajaga Samuel ’m’, Anyasi Bright ’m’, Ifenwa Okolie ’f’ and Ikechukwu Ifeoma ’f ’.
ASP Uyabeme added that on receipt of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, led operatives to the scene and arrested the suspected kidnappers in their hideout. According to PPRO, “On 26th August, at about 17: 35 hours, one Abugu Emmanuel Onyekachi ‘m’ of Agbonlahor street off Kpoga street, Ikpoba hill Benin city reported at the Police station Agbor that, while he was traveling from Asaba to Benin on 24th August, at a point around Emuhu village, the driver of the lorry he was traveling in, stopped to ease himself; suddenly, three men emerged from the bush and kidnapped him and took him to a house where he met other members of the gang numbering about eleven. The hoodlums manhandled him and released him after a day in captivity on the payment of a ransom of N125, 000”.
Equally, the Police in Delta state have nabbed another set of five suspected kidnappers that abducted a victim in Port Harcourt, Rivers state whose car was sighted in one of the filling stations in Asaba.
ASP Lucky Uyabeme listed the names of the suspects that abducted a victim in Port Harcourt to include one Chidi Amadi ‘m’ 32 years , one Prince Reuben ’m’ 24 years, Prince Amadi ’m’ 17 years, Endurance Ogbuka ’m’ 24 years and Unity Ayovwe 17 years. He added that one of the suspects Chidi Amadi who tried to disarm one of the Police operatives that raided the residence of the kidnappers at Ewreni in Ughelli North Local Government in Delta state of his rifle later died on the way to the hospital. “On 22nd August, at about 2100 hours, information was relayed via control room Asaba to the Delta State Police Command Special Anti- Kidnapping Squad that a victim whose name was not given was kidnapped in Port Harcourt in Rivers state and his Toyota Corolla car with Reg. No.
AHD 723 AA was sighted in one of the filling stations in Asaba. On receipt of the information, operatives of the squad mobilized and went out on trail of the suspects”, Uyabeme stated.
The Police Image-maker explained that based on information, on 25th August, the suspected Kidnappers were nabbed by operatives at their residence at Ewreni in Ughelli North Local Government Area in Delta state while celebrating their success.
Items recovered from them, he said included the Kidnapped victim’s Toyota Corolla car with Reg. No. AHD 723 AA, one Nissan Almera car, twelve handsets of different makes, twenty-nine AK 47 live ammunitions and twenty-two 9mm pistol berretta ammunitions. ASP Uyabeme who averred that investigation into the matter was in progress and that the suspects would appear in court soon added that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing members of the gang.
Narrating his ordeal, the Kidnap victim, Mr. Abugu Emmanuel Onyekachi who is a businessman in Benin told newsmen that he tried to resist his abduction, but was forced to follow them because of the gun they pointed at him. According to him, “When the driver came down at Emuhu village after Agbor town to ease himself, I also used the opportunity to ease myself. Little did I know that it was a planned deal with the kidnappers, they hit me at the back while I was still urinating, immediately the driver sped off and they overpowered me with their gun and took me to the bush. They manhandled me, but did not tie my eyes and that is why I can recognize them, they were 11 in number and that woman with them was preparing pap for the kidnappers and she is nursing about a 9-months old baby.
They collected all the money in my pocket, asked me to call my people to tell them that I have spoilt something and they should bring money for me at Umunede junction, not in that bush. So I called my two brothers at Onitsha and Benin city who brought money for my rescue, in all I paid 125,000 including the money in my pocket”.