The Nation Newspaper

Tag: kidnappers

  • Ex-Ebonyi council boss’ kidnappers demand N50m ransom

    Ex-Ebonyi council boss’ kidnappers demand N50m ransom

    The abductors of former Ebonyi council boss, who was kidnapped last Sunday inside a church in his hometown have made a ransom demand of N50 million, The Nation authoritatively gathered Thursday.

    This is even as the Police in the state have intensified efforts to track down and rescue the victim by deploying a special task force to the area.

    Also, more facts emerged as to how the kidnapping of the Coordinator was carried out with an eyewitness telling our reporter that one of the kidnappers on reconnaissance mission sat beside the victim during the Church service.

    The gun wielding able bodied men, five in number, had besieged the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Okposi, Ohaozara Local Government, Ebonyi State and captured Elder Ihebunandu Okorie, the immediate past Coordinator of Okposi Development Centre at the end of the church service.

    An eyewitness, who spoke to our reporter in confidence, said that a green coloured Mercedes Benz 230 V-Booth with Lagos plate number AS 559 KJA drove into the Church premises and parked behind the former Coordinator’s vehicle while the driver remained inside listening to music from the car.

    He said no one knew when one of the kidnappers tiptoed into the Church and sat beside Mr. Ihebunandu, an Elder in the Church.

    “He (the kidnapper) kept fondling his handset throughout his stay in the Church hall while the sermon lasted. At the end of the service the former Coordinator came out of the Church and went straight to his car.

    “The kidnapper trailed him from inside the Church to his car, a Toyota Four Runner Jeep with Ebonyi plate number, NCA 94 AA, and as he was about driving off, the suspect intercepted the victim at gun point and took control of his vehicle.”

    While Elder Ihebunandu was being ordered around in his car, three other co-suspected abductors stormed out with three AK 47 rifle each from opposite the Church building and opened fire at the Mercedes V-Booth they had stormed the Church with, shooting repeatedly at the car’s fuel tank ostensibly to get it on fire to burn beyond recognition, but the V-Booth Benz car did not ignite.

    The abductors zoomed off from the Church towards Okposi – Amasiri express road, while the Church members scampered to safety.

    The presiding minister Rev. Michael Ani had impulsively kept shouting on top of his voice from the pulpit questioning, “who was shooting that in the church?.

    When it dawned on him that it was kidnappers, he ran into the vestry and quickly made some phone calls and those he called helped to contact security operatives from within the Ohaozara and Afikpo Area Command.

    In less than two hours that the incident happened, the abductors phoned the victim’s wife, demanding the sum of N50m ransom, later at the wee hours of the night, 12:15am, another phone call came from the abductor’s reducing the sum to N30m.

    Meanwhile, Police sources said the command swung into action immediately and every effort made to trap the fleeing abductors and their victim failed.

    The following day information filtered in that the abductors drove through Erei farm settlement, a border community between Ebonyi State and Cross River.

    The over 120 strong combined teams of police detectives drawn from all the Divisional Headquarters’ in Ebonyi South zone and from the State Command stormed the area where the kidnappers were last seen.

    On arrival they cordoned off the forest and carried out a search during which they discovered the victim’s Toyota Four Runner Jeep burnt.

    There were no gun shots at the vehicle, but investigations suggest that the vehicle ran out of fuel and that incensed the abductors into cutting off the fuel hose before the car was set ablaze.

    Police spokesman, Chris Anyanwu confirmed the discovery of the victim’s car to our correspondent and said the police have intensified efforts to rescue the victim and arrest the kidnappers.

  • Police rescue Jonathan’s cousin

    Police rescue Jonathan’s cousin

    Police have rescued President Jonathan’s cousin, Chief Nengote Nitabai from his abductors.

    Bayelsa Commissioner of Police, Hilary Okpara confirmed that the patriarch has regained his freedom.

    A gun-wielding 10-man gang seized him on Sunday, February 23 when they sneaked into his hometown in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    The kidnappers had rejected a N30m ransom offered by the family to secure the victim’s release describing the money as “too small.”

    Chief Nitabai said to be about 70 years old is a compound chief in Jonathan’s Ebele family.

  • Police nab 6 suspected kidnappers in Bayelsa

    The Police in Bayelsa on Tuesday said arrested six suspected kidnappers, who allegedly abducted a woman in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state.

    The state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Hilary Opara, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Yenagoa that three AK 47 rifles and other ammunitions were recovered from the hoodlums.

    The police boss said that the abducted woman was freed by the police who intercepted the bandits in the Southern Ijaw creeks.

    He explained that the suspects had robbed a home at Diabu Community in Southern Ijaw LGA and escaped with some valuables, abducting a woman.

    “However, luck ran out on them when some marine policemen intercepted them along the Southern Ijaw waterways and arrested them.

    “They are currently being detained and interrogated by the command.”

    The commissioner said that the command was tackling criminality, especially kidnapping in the state.

    Opara said the police recently arrested over 12 kidnappers in connection with two incidents that occurred in the state.

    He advised kidnappers to relocate from the state or be prepared to face the wrath of the law.

    “We are working very hard. We are not sleeping. This state cannot accommodate kidnappers and other criminals.

    “We will get and deal with them according to the law.”

    He urged members of the public to cooperate with the police by providing information that would lead to the arrest of criminals in the state.

  • It’s total war against kidnappers

    THE new Commissioner of Police (CP) in Rivers State, Mr Tunde Ogunsakin, vowed yesterday that there will be no hiding place for kidnappers in the state for as long as he remains in the state. Ogunsakin who described kidnappers as very dangerous and unstable characters spoke against the backdrop of the recent kidnap of three politicians in Port Harcourt. He said he would make the state uncomfortable for kidnappers to operate. He said that that he has already mobilized his men to fish out the kidnappers from their hideouts. “We are sincere when we say no to kidnapping. Our briefed and mobilized to combat kidnappers,” he said. The State Police Command, according to him,had been discreet in its effort to rescue the abducted persons so as not to endanger their lives. The victims who are chieftains of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) were abducted on Wednesday, February 26, 2014 at Eagle Island, Port Harcourt, and released on Thursday, March 6. Ogunsakin added: “We were actually very close on the heels of the kidnappers, but we are bound by our duty to protect the lives of the victims not to disclose how far we had gone in tracking the kidnappers or our policing strategy. Please, don’t misconstrue our silence when we are on the trail of kidnappers or criminals. “For your information, the police is always in the middle of it all; the families of the victims who want to cling to any piece of information that will lead to the release of their loved ones as well as the kidnappers who, conscious of the crime that they have committed, are torn between collecting ransom and evading the police to avoid arrest and prosecution for their crimes.” Continuing, the CP said, “In a complex situation like this, the police have to be very, very professional, indeed. Yes, we feel for the families of the victims, but the police cannot on the strength of that divulge sensitive operational information which can even endanger the lives of the victims who are still in the possession of the kidnappers who are very dangerous and unstable characters.”

  • Rivers CP draws battle line with kidnappers

    Rivers CP draws battle line with kidnappers

    The Rivers state commissioner of Police (CP), Johnson Tunde Ogunsakin yesterday says his administration would not tolerate kidnapping in the state.

    Ogunsakin who made the pledge in Port Harcourt, when members of the state Judiciary Press Corps/ Crime Reporters paid him a courtesy visit also said the state Police command under him would leave no stone unturned in wiping out all forms of crime and criminalities across the state.

    He said his target was to ensure that kidnappers are driven out of the state.

    The security chief assumed office in the state last month, after the redeployment of his predecessor, CP Mbu Joseph Mbu.

    Two different kidnap cases , one of which involving three PDP stalwarts  and two different cult related activities which claimed two lives have been reported across the state.

    The three PDP victims, Ike Chinda, a former National lawmaker Chinyere Igwe and one Allwell Ihunda regained freedom after they had spent eight days in the kidnappers den. The party members have lauded the efforts of police in ensuring their members were released unhurt.

    The abductors of the other victim, a community leader is yet to establish contact with the family of the man, as at press time.

    The Police Boss said, “I have declared total war against kidnappers in Rivers state. Henceforth, there will be no hiding place for kidnappers.

    “We are sincere when we said No kidnapping, our men have been adequately briefed and mobilized to combat kidnappers.”

    Speaking on how the three PDP leaders were let loose, he said “we were actually very close on the heels of the kidnappers, but we are bound by our duty to protect the lives of the victims not to disclose how far we had gone in tracking the kidnappers or our policing strategies.

    “Please don’t misconstrue our silence when we are on the trail of kidnappers or criminals. For your information, the police is always in the middle of it all. The families of the victims who want to cling on any piece of information that will lead to the release of their loved ones as well as the kidnappers who, conscious of the crime that they have committed are torn between collecting ransom and evading the police to avoid arrest and prosecution for their crimes.” He appealed

    He assured members of Rivers public that measures are underway by the command to reduce crimes to its bearing minimum, adding that a good number of firearms have been recovered while many robbers have been arrested.

    Ogunsakin appealed for useful information from the media and members of the public. He promised to partner with journalists in the state in the discharge of his duties and charged them for objective reportage.

    Earlier in his address, the Chairman of the group, Deacon Samuel Chinda told the CP that they were in his office to familiarise with him and to welcome him to the state.

     

  • Jonathan’s cousin: Kidnappers turn down N30m offer

    Kidnappers of Inengite Nitabai, the cousin of President Goodluck Jonathan, have rejected N30million ransom offered them to free their victim describing the money as “too small”.

    It was gathered that the 10-man gang insisted that the offer was meager and did not measure up to the kind of money they expected when they set out on a criminal mission to abduct their victim.

    They reportedly described the offer which was said to have been made by the family as a joke.

    A top security source who pleaded anonymity said the leader of the gang sounded rigid and mean.

    The source said the kidnappers carefully studied the relationship between their victim and President Jonathan before embarking on the mission.

    “The family offered them N30milion but they turned it down and laughed it out as a joke. They said they would not collect such small money from someone close to the President,” he said.

    Nitabai, a compound chief in Jonathan’s Ebele Family, was abducted by 10 gunmen on February 23 at his residence in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State.

    He was driven out of his compound in his Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) by the bandits who harassed his in-law and collected N400, 000 from his wife.

    His car was later recovered at Onuebum waterside, a development that fueled speculations that his abductors escaped with him through the creeks.

    Three days after the incident, the kidnappers established contact with the family and demanded N500m ransom to free Nitabai.

    Days after negotiations, the abductors were said to have stuck to their whooping ransom demand despite appeals from the family to accept N30m.

    But the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) warned security agencies and family members of Nitabai against paying ransom to the kidnappers.

    Rising from its inaugural meeting at the Ijaw House in Yenagoa, IYC said the three-man committee it set up to work with security agencies to secure the release of Nitabai were making progress.

    Speaking after the meeting, the Spokesman of the IYC, Eric Omare, refused to disclose the identities of the committee members for security reasons.

    He said IYC would not glorify kidnapping by paying ransom to the perpetrators.

    He promised that with the efforts so far made by the committee, Nitabai will soon be set free by his assailants.

    “In consonance with the position of the IYC we have advised the relevant persons not to offer any ransom in order to effect the release of Mr. President Uncle because if we offer ransom we are encouraging more kidnapping.

    “IYC position is that criminality must be erased from Ijaw land, so we have told them not to offer any ransom.

    “Though he has not been released, we are very sure in the next few days or hours we would effect his release.”

  • Gunmen steal 6-month old male child

    Unidentified gunmen have reportedly stolen a 6 months old male child at Amapu Umuaja village in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State.

    Sources from the village said that the incident happened around 9:30pm Monday evening when most of the villagers had already gone to bed.

    Nation learnt that the gunmen who came to the victim’s parents compound in a motorbike, after forcefully breaking into Mrs. Peace Chikezie’s house, snatched away her child and her mobile phone, apparently to stop her from contacting other members of her immediate family.

    A source who pleaded not to be mentioned confirmed the incident and however stated that the gunmen were yet to make initial contact with the victim’s family.

    The source said that the villagers got to know about the incident after the mother of the child raised the alarm after the gunmen had left their compound after which a search team was set up for a possible recovery of the baby and apprehension of the victims that yielded no result.

    Another source added that though reasons for which the gunmen struck the Chikezie’s compound remained unknown to the villagers, said it was the first time such a thing was happening in their area.

    The source who spoke bitterly however described the actions of the gunmen as barbaric and satanic and called on the hoodlums to release the baby to the mother with immediate effect.

    The source wondered why the gunmen should be so wicked to have taken away a child of six months from his mother and further added that the emotional and psychological trauma the child and his mother would be subjected to by the gunmen were undeserving.

    The matter Nation learnt has been reported at the Umuoba Divisional Police Headquarters for proper investigation into the matter.

    Efforts to reach Abia State Police Public Relations Officer, Geoffrey Ogbonna failed as calls put to his mobile phone rang repeatedly without any response. However, a senior police officer who spoke on anonymous confirmed the incident and added that the police were already on top of the matter to recover the child and also to apprehend the culprits as well.

  • Gunmen abduct Jonathan’s cousin in Otuoke

    Gunmen abduct Jonathan’s cousin in Otuoke

    • They hit him on the head, collected N400,000 from wife before whisking him away – inlaw

    Without fear of President Goodluck Jonathan, ten gunmen sneaked into Otuoke, his hometown in Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, and whisked away his first cousin, Chief Inengite Nitabai.

    In a daring move, the heavily armed men stormed the expansive compound of Nitabai located before Otuoke bridge, off Otu-Okpoti-Ogbia Road and isolated their target without a gunshot.

    Nitabai said to be about 70 years old is a compound chief in Jonathan’s Ebele family.

    He has been acting like a father to the President since Jonathan’s real biological father died, sources from the family said.

    Commotion and panic reigned supreme in the compound of Nitabai when the bandits gained access to the area between 8 and 9pm on Sunday.

    The victim, his wife, his wife’s sister and three of his children were in the house when the assailants stormed the compound.

    His wife’s sister, 37-year-old Akinobebh Jin, said Silas, one of the sons of the victim first sighted the criminals and raised the alarm.

    “We came back from somewhere around 8pm. Silas was at the verandah doing his assignment while my inlaw, my sister and two other siblings were in the living room together.

    “After sometimes, Silas came shouting and saying that some people had jus entered into the compound. As we sprang on our feet, we were confused because we didn’t know where to run to.

    “Shortly After that five heavily armed men entered into the house, barking. We ran into the kitchen and some of them followed us to the kitchen. They asked us to lie down. They hit my sister on the head and asked her to give them money.

    “They also hit my inlaw with the butt of their guns and demanded money. They threatened to shoot us. My sister told them she had small money and they followed her to the bedroom where she gave them money”,she said.

    Jin said after collecting about N400,000, the gunmen still took their victim forcefully into a car parked at the compound.

    She said the car a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) belonged to the victim and was parked in the compound.

    “Five of the gunmen entered the compound while five others were hanging around the premises. They locked us inside the house before leaving”, she said.

    Jin who sustained injury at her finger said she had yet to recover from the shock.

    When our correspondent went to the compound, there was uneasy calm around the area.

    A detachment of Joint Task Force(JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, and operatives of the police had been deployed to the place.

    Sympathisers were seen trooping into the compound while the wife of the victim was said to have gone to the clinic for treatment.

    People were seen in groups discussing the incident just as a road leading to Otuoke had been cordoned off by soldiers.

    It was learnt that the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, and the Deputy Commander, JTF, Commodore Ime Ekpa, had earlier visited the crime scene.

    Opara said he and his men had murdered sleep since the incident happened.

    He said the police alerted other sister security agencies and prompted them to swing into action.

    He added that two gunboats had been stationed at the Onuebum waterside disclosing that the police had so far patrolled Edebiri, Kiambiri, Anyama and Ogobiri creeks.

    Opara revealed that two suspects had been arrested so far.

    “The other two suspects saw my men and ran away. We know them and we will get them”, he said.

    The Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, confirmed the incident and said the assailants abandoned the victim’s car at the Onuebum community water front.

    The confirmation showed that the assailants must have escaped with their victim into the creeks through Onuebum waterways.

    Nwachukwu said: “Information available to me is that a certain Chief Nengite Nitabai was abducted by about 10 gunmen yesterday at about 9pm at Otuoke community in Ogbia LGA using his private vehicle.

    “The vehicle was later recovered at Onuebum community water front. The Deputy Commander, JTF, Commodore Ime Ekpa and a team of security agents have visited the crime scene and investigation is in progress to unmask the kidnappers and rescue the victim”.

    Further investigations in Otuoke revealed that there were two Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) of the Nigerian Army stationed in the community.

    While one and detachment of soldiers have been guarding the mansion of President Jonathan, the other was stationed at the former hotel belonging to the wife of the President.

  • Two kidnappers get 33 years

    Delta State High Court in Effurun has sentenced two persons, including a civil servant, to 33 years imprisonment for kidnapping a prominent hotelier in Delta State. They demanded N10 million ransom.

    Wisdom Destiny (35) from Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers State and Godstime Onovwakpor ( 39) from Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State were found guilty of conspiracy to commit robbery, kidnapping and demanding ransom.

    They got 10 years each for count one, another 10 each for robbery and yet another 10 years for kidnapping. Both got three years each for demanding a ransom. The court held that the prison terms were to run concurrently.

    State Prosecutor told the court that the accused persons and one other at large on December 27, 2009, at Ovwian within the Otor-Udu Judicial Division, kidnapped Francis German from a church.

    The prosecutor said German was trying to park his car on the church’s premises when the duo whisked him away.

    He was released three days later after his wife reportedly paid N10 million.

  • Kidnappers meet waterloo in Abia

    A gang of suspected kidnappers said to have been terrorizing Aba, the commercial city of Abia State, recently met its waterloo when soldiers from the Asa High School area of the state killed one and injured another member of the gang in a gun duel. Sources said the incident occurred along the Enugu- Port Harcourt expressway, near the commercial hub of the state. An unconfirmed report has it that the injured suspect, identified as Evans Anaba, is a native of Umuelechi village in Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state, and is alleged to be a member of a kidnapping gang that has been terrorizing the residents of the commercial town and its environs. The Nation gathered that members of the gang, who were operating in a Passat wagon car, were on their way to collect an undisclosed ransom from a victim’s family before they ran out of luck. According to a source, the soldiers, who were working on a tip-off, laid an ambush for the kidnappers along the expressway. The unsuspecting kidnappers were said to have run into the ambush. It was gathered that during the exchange of fire, a member of the gang was shot dead, while another escaped with bullet wound. However, Evans was the only member of the gang that was apprehended by the soldiers. Their victim, identified as one pastor Uchenna Bekee, was rescued and has since rejoined his family.