The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kidnapped

  • Security adviser kidnapped

    The Cross River State Security Adviser in charge of the southern district, Mr. Ani Esin, was yesterday kidnapped by gunmen in his home, The Nation has learnt.

    Esin, a former chairman of Bakassi Local Government, it was gathered, was manhandled by the kidnappers before they took him away in his vehicle.

    The police said following distress calls, a team led by Commissioner Austin Agbonlahor pursued the criminals and arrested them.

    Command spokesperson Irene Ugbo said the vehicle in which the kidnappers were escaping later had an accident and one of them died.

    She said the other suspects escaped into the bush with gunshot injuries.

    Ugbo said Esin was rescued and is responding to treatment in hospital.

    She said efforts were on to identify the dead kidnapper, adding that the fleeing suspects would soon be arrested.

  • Polls: Kidnapped APC candidate still in captivity

    Less than one week to the conduct of the governorship and state assembly elections across the country, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Owan West state constituency in Edo state, Micheal Ohio-Ezomo, who was abducted on January 23, 2019, at his Sabonginda Ora residence by gun men after his police orderly was killed, is yet to be released by his abductors. The kidnappers were said to have demanded for a ransom of N100m. It was also learnt that an attempt to rescue him from the kidnappers’ den failed.

    Ohio-Ezomo was first elected into the Edo State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015 but his attempt to get a second term ticket failed as he lost the primaries to Hon Ojo Asein. His brother, Martins, had told newsmen that the family members were worried that he was yet to regain freedom. He said his abducted brother was supposed to be campaigning for his election ahead of the March 2nd House of Assembly election. Martins appealed to the kidnappers to release him unhurt.

  • APC chieftain kidnapped in Owo

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jide Owoka, was kidnapped last Sunday on his way to his country home, Ute in Ose Local government area of Ondo State.

    Owoka was a member of National Association of Vetenary Research Institute. In a distress call to The Nation yesterday, the wife of the kidnapped politician, Omolola, narrated her ordeal to our reporter. She said: “I received a strange call Sunday evening where the news of my husband’s abduction was first broken to me and since then nothing has been heard until the following day when the kidnappers demanded N5m ransom” According to her as at Monday, all she could raise was a million naira which the kidnappers rejected. “They refused to collect the N1m insisting on the full payment of the full ransom money. ‘And to make the matter worse, they said they gave us up till 4 O’clock yesterday to pay the money, this is after my husband called me earlier in the day begging that I should do all I could to raise the money as his life is in danger” Omolola, who was speaking from this family Lagos residence, however could not say if her husband’s ordeal was politically motivated as he disclosed that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had been fully briefed about the incident.

    She on whether a formal report has been made to the police, she said the police in Ondo State are already investigating the matter but made a passionate appeal to the state government to come to her aid as the family including Owoka’s aged mother are going through untold emotional trauma

     

  • Chaplain’s son kidnapped in Jos

    Plateau State Police Command has reported the kidnap of a 12-year-old son of the Chaplain of Plateau State Polytechnic, Heipang, in Barkin Ladi Local Government.

    A statement in Jos yesterday by police spokesman Tyopev Terna said: “On February 20, at about 1215hrs, Plateau State Police Command received information from Pastor Andrew Dido, the chaplain of Plateau State Polytechnic that at about 2040hrs, gunmen broke into his official quarters and kidnapped his 12-year-old son, Kim, to an unknown destination.

    “He said the kidnappers also took his phone with line number 08036044144.

    “On receipt of the information, Police Commissioner Isaac Akinmoyede directed the DPO of Barkin Ladi Division to tighten security in the institution.

    “The CP raised a rescue team that is on the trail of the kidnappers.

    “Akinmoyede visited the Dido family and the management of Plateau State Polytechnic this morning (yesterday morning) and assured them of the command’s determination to rescue the boy and tighten security in and around the polytechnic.

    “We implore people to volunteer information that will lead to the rescue of the boy and arrest of the perpetrators.”

     

  • Gunmen abduct saw millers in Ondo, demand N5m ransom

    Residents of Akunu in Akoko Northeast local government of Ondo state were in confusion on Tuesday as two prominent saw millers who have their factories at Ikakumo-Akoko were reportedly abducted by gunmen between Akunu and Ayere in kogi state.

    According to eyewitnesses,Mrs kudi Obayan and Engr Bello Micheal, the victims were three in a Honda Accord car they were travelling when the gunmen waylaid them and took two of the occupants to the bush.

    The other one was said to have been spared in order to report the development to their families for ransom.

    A farmer who was working in his farm during the abduction said he heard the booming of guns along the road in their attempt to seize the two victims.

    It was learnt their vehicle was abandoned on the road, while the third person with the victims narrated his ordeal.

    Police in Akunu said the spot where the kidnappers struck fell within Kogi state territory.

    Soldiers at the military checkpoint in the vicinity, vigilantes and local hunters combed the forest to arrest the gunmen and rescue the victims.

    The kidnappers according to a source, have demanded N5m as ransom for the release of their captives.

    It would be recalled that two persons travelling along Ayere Akunu-Auga-Ise road were kidnapped within the last one week.

    Residents urged the police to increase security network in all border towns of Ondo state.

  • Kidnapped Adamawa APC chieftain regains freedom

    The police command in Adamawa State has confirmed the release of Mr. HamiduMijinyawa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in Demsa Local Government Area, by his abductors.

    Mijinyawa was abducted in the early hours of Wednesday by some gunmen in Demsa who later called by telephone to demand a N20million ransom.

    Confirming the release, the command spokesman, SP Othman Abubakar, said the party chairman was released in the early hours of yesterday.

    Abubakar did not give details of the release and whether ransom was paid or not.

    “All I can tell you for now is that Mijinyawa has been released by the kidnappers,” Abubakar said.

    The State Publicity Secretary of APC, Alhaji Mohammed Abdullahi, also confirmed thatMijinyawa was hale and hearty.

    “He is out hale and hearty and is now with his family,” Abdullahi said.

     

  • Kidnapped Ekiti LG officials regain freedom

    The two officials of Emure Local Government in  Ekiti State, kidnapped last week have regained their freedom.

    The Police command in the state yesterday confirmed the release of the two victims.

    Pastor A. Onaade and Dr O. Fashina, were kidnapped on Ikere Ekiti- Ise-Emure road while returning to Ado Ekiti.

    However, another victim, Mr Abayomi Ajayi who reportedly conveyed other occupants in his car was killed.

    One of the victims, Onaade is an accountant while Fashina is in charge of Primary Health Care in the council.

    The gunmen, after killing Ajayi, had seized Onaade and Fashina and demanded N10m ransom each from their families.

    It was however not clear if any ransom was eventually paid to secure their release.

    Speaking on the development in Ado Ekiti, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, said the captives were freed by the police.

    Ikechukwu said the newly posted Commissioner of police, Mr Asuquo Amba, had also visited the kidnapped victims in their respective homes.

    “The Commissioner of police has visited them, they are in good shape.

    “It is the duty of the police to ensure that everybody is safe and that we have done, and will continue to do,” he said.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the commissioner declined to mention the actual location where the victims regained their freedom.

    On the issue of ransom, Ikechukwu said: “The victims never brought this to our notice. They didn’t tell us they paid anything. All we did was to do our work and ensure that they returned home safe and in good health.”

     

  • Teenager kidnapped in Enugu found in Niger

    A 14-year-old boy, Lucky Godwin, who was kidnapped at Avuna River in Enugu State, has been found in Niger State.

    Narrating his ordeal in Minna, the state capital, Godwin, who said he was kidnapped with another boy, said he escaped from his abductors by jumping out of the bus when it got to Bida.

    “I didn’t know where they were taking us to until they stopped in Bida. I opened the door and ran away. When they could not see me, they zoomed off with the other boy.

    “I never knew we were in Niger State until I escaped from the bus and met one Igbo man, who took me to a child right’s agency for interrogation.”

    Describing how he was kidnapped, Godwin said two men came to Avuna River where they were fetching water, forced them into their red bus and drove off to an unknown destination.

    The Director-General of Niger State Child Rights Agency, Mariam Kolo, confirmed the incident.

    She said the victim was kidnapped at Avanu River in Enugu State and later found in Bida, Niger State.

    Kolo, a lawyer, said Godwin was kidnapped alongside one other boy, who could not jump out of the bus when their kidnappers arrived in Bida.

    She said: “The victim was brought to our office by an Igbo man living in Bida. After interrogation, the agency found out that Godwin lives with his grandmother in Enugu, while his mother lives in Jos, Plateau State.

    “Investigation is on. I advise parents to monitor their children. They should be concerned about their whereabouts.”

  • Why we tried to kill Ebonyi businessman- Gang members

    Some members of the six man robbery and kidnapping syndicate that kidnapped, robbed and attempted to murder a businessman in Ebonyi State, Mr Monday Udoka Oke, have recounted how the operation went down and why they tried to kill the businessman.

    They spoke in Abakaliki after they were paraded by the Police in the state alongside other crime suspects recently arrested by the command for various crimes.

    In an interview with journalists, Chinonso Desmond who led the group confessed to the crimes.

    He said they shot and tried to kill Oke because one of them MD who is still at large suspected that the businessman who owns Monabliss hotel Abakaliki knows him and will identify him.

    ”It is my friend MD Mohammed that introduced me into kidnap of Monablis. It was in the night that they called me on phone in Enugu state and I came down to Abakaliki for the kidnap of the man. I was smoking with them, we discussed how to execute the kidnap,” he began.

    On how the kidnapping was carried out Desmond has this to say: “We moved to the street where Monablis hotel is located. We were smoking and saw Monablis when he was coming out of his hotel and we followed him up.

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    “We blocked him with his car. After we blocked him, we took him to a place called Azugwu in Abakaliki and when we reached there the man gave us N150, 000. MD forced him to do mobile transfer for us to get more money from him and he did the transfer. He transferred to me N1.5million into my account. MD did not have account and he transferred money for MD also into my account, he transferred N1million for MD and it became N2.5million he transferred into my account for me and MD”

    Desmond who confessed to being the one who shot the businessman said they took the decision to kill him so that he will not implicate them.

    “After the transfer, MD said the man knows him very well. We took him (Monablis) to one River and I don’t know the name of the river but they called it Ebonyi river. The man was begging us, when he tried to escape, we shot him. I was the one that shot him, we were not sent by anyone to kidnap him”.

    For Loveth Nnenna, a female student of the Ebonyi State University, she was introduced to the group by her boyfriend who was arrested on his way to into the state from Enugu with some guns.

    “I was arrested for kidnapping and armed robbery. I was at home when Desmond and MD the one that ran away came to me at Azugwu where I was staying and told me to enter car and I entered. I didn’t know where we were going to but we landed in a bush and when we got to the bush, I saw two guys lying down. Within a short period of time, Desmond carried Monablis and came in. Then, they released the two guys that were lying down”

    “Desmond told the Monablis ‘oga, let’s do business’ and he said no problem. He asked Monablis how much do you have in your account and he replied him. He told Monablis that he will transfer monies into our individual accounts and he agreed”.

    “He sent N1.5 million into my own account and Desmond told me to give N500, 000 to one of us here, I should also give N500, 000 to the one that ran away and then leave the remaining N500, 000 in my own account. They kept two guys with me so that I will not run away from the area.

    “They then carried Monablis into one bush where they shot him; I was not there when they shot him. When they came back, they started fighting themselves saying they didn’t shoot the man very well that he ran away. Desmond then ordered two guys to go into the river and find Monablis that the man is not dead,” she said.

    She further narrated how she was initiated into the cult group by members of the gang.

    “I am final student of Ebonyi state University department of Sociology. I know this group as cultists and I met them this semester. My boyfriend was once in police cell in Enugu and it was through him that I met Okechukwu one of us”.

    “They told me that my boyfriend is coming from Enugu to shoot me because I reported the person that stole my cell phone, that he asked me not to report to the police and I reported to the police. On his way coming back with two guns, they arrested him. It was on that day that Monablis was kidnapped that I was initiated into cultism, it was the group that initiated me. I belong to bagger confraternity”.

    Another suspect, Murtala Usman who was arrested for buying the necklace stolen from the businessman denied being involved in the kidnap.

    “I don’t have any role in the kidnap. I am doing Bureau De change business and on Wednesday Morning I was in my shop when the gang leader with a young woman brought necklace to me to buy. The lady told me that she lost her mother and that they want to do her burial and that they need money for the burial”.

    “After we finished doing the business and I gave them the money, two days later police came and arrested me. They asked me where the necklace was and that I should provide it for them and I did as they said. I bought the necklace at the rate of  N600, 000,” he said.

    Earlier, Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah said five out of the six members of the gang involved in the kidnap and attempted murder of top business mogul and owner of popular Monabliss hotel in Abakaliki, Monday Udoka Oke were arrested.

    The spokesman said the six man gang led by Ikpuecha Chinonso Desmond first attacked one Ikwuobe Odeh Samuel at his residence, No 10 Ofor Street Abakaliki, kidnapped him and his friend in his Toyota Highlander Jeep with Reg No. MKD 421 TS and whisked him to a nearby bush at Azugwu Onuebonyi in Abakaliki on 21st of May.

    “After robbing them of some cash and other valuables including phones and laptops, the gang blindfolded them and kept them hostage after which they proceeded with the said highlander jeep to kidnap Mr Oke,” she said

    According to the police, one hour later at about 11 pm, the gang double crossed Mr Monday Oke as he left his Hotel, located at 95 Nnorom Street Abakaliki kidnapped him in his Honda car and took him to Onuebonyi River

    Once there, they proceeded to rob him of a cash sum of N200, 000 in his possession and other valuables such as gold necklace, hand bangle, belt, ring, shoe, wrist watch, hand bag, iphpone8plus and Samsung galaxy edge plus phones.

    Odah said the kidnappers then took his phone and transferred various large sums of money to their respective bank accounts which total amounted to N5.2m.

    After robbing him, “Mr. Monday Udoka was shot and pushed into the river by the gang believing that he was dead while the first victims Mr Samuel and friend were released unhurt”

    On receiving the news, Odah said the command immediately commenced intelligence led investigation which took its operatives to Enugu/Nsukka where five of the gang members were arrested.

    She gave the names of the five arrested members as: Ikpuecha Chinonso Desmiond, 32 years, Uguru Okechukwu 22 years, Nnaemeka Nwinya, 32 yrs, Igwe Ekene 28 yrs and the only female member of the gang, Loveth Okpara Nnenna, 26 yrs.

    The Police also paraded eight persons who allegedly killed one Anselem Omah at Onu-Orie Umuoghara Ezaangbo, Ohaukwu local government area on Tuesday.

    The Nation had earlier reported how the 32 years old Mr Omah was killed in cult clashes in the area.

    Parading the suspects at the State Headquarters of the Police in Abakaliki, spokesman of the command, Loveth Odah said the suspects also robbed other innocent citizens of their belongings.

    “One English berretta pistol, one live cartridge, 10 live ammunition, one Volkswagen car, one long machete and substance suspected to be charm were recovered from them”.

    She added that they have also confessed to the crime.

    Odah, an Assistant Superintendent of Police further said that the command arrested one Awoke Ikechukwu also known as  ‘IK Dokpor’, a prime suspect in the robbery and murder of one Michael Nwodom at Afikpo street Abakaliki on July last year.

    Recovered from the suspect are one barreta pistol with 10 lives 9mm ammunition and the phone of the deceased.

    The spokesman said the police also arrested one Oken Chimezie with one revolver pistol in his tricycle along G-hostel Abakaliki whle the duo of Ifeanyi Onyibe and Nweke Joshua were arrested for unlawful possession of a revolver pistol, one axe and a machete at Ezillo junction Ishielu local government area.

    “One Nwabuike Nnabuike was arrested along No. 2 Nsugbe Avenue Abakaliki who robbed one Ugochi Chukwu of her phone valued at N12, 000 with constructed locally made pistol. The said gun and phone were recovered from him”, Odah said.

    “In the same vein, on 23rd March, One Friday Chibuike, 21years, was arrested at Umuoru Obode road Ezzangbo who robbed Igboke Ngozi and her son at gunpoint. One locally made single barrel short gun with one live catridge, four 6mm live ammunition and one dagger were recovered from him,” she added.

  • Hoodlums abduct INEC official in A’Ibom

    ….Demand N10m ransom

     

    Hoodlums suspected to be cultists have abducted a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), serving at the commission’s area office in Ukanafun local government area of Akwa Ibom state.

    The victim, one Otobong Sylvester Ukpong, an indigene of Iwukem village in Etim Ekpo local government area, was reportedly kidnapped Tuesday morning while going to work.

    Our correspondent gathered that the incident occurred near the Government Primary School, Oruk Ata2 along the Ukanafun-Azumini expressway.

    The victim’s brother, Mbetobong Sylvester Ukpong, told reporters, “My brother was kidnapped at Uruk Ata2, in the morning hours of Tuesday, June 5, 2018, on his way to work in his office at Ukanafun Local Government Area office of INEC”.

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    Mbetobong explained that his brother, whom he explained, “is the last in the family”, was on a major mission to the office, despite crisis of insecurity in the area, to distribute Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) to the electorates.

    He said his brother’s captors have contacted the family, and are demanding N10 million as ransom. “They used my brother’s phone number to call the family to disclose their ransom before they release him, but the elders of the family have told them such demand is outrageous for a largely peasant family to pay”, he said.

    When contacted, the police public relations officer (PPRO), Odiko MacDon DSP told our correspondent that he was yet to be officially briefed by the Etim Ekpo Area Command on the incident.

    “Somebody called me from that axis of the state that a staff of INEC has been kidnapped, but as I speak I can’t confirm that information because I have not been officially briefed by the Etim Ekpo Area Command,” he said.

    It could be recalled that there have been series of killings and abductions in the area, the recent being the kidnap of two female students of Obong University, a private varsity in the area.