THE Ebonyi State police command has recorded made some progress, a major part of which is smashing a kidnap gang.
The gang was said to have carried out their nefarious activities long enough to claim several victims of both sexes of various ages.
In its resolve to respond to this disturbing trend, the command fashioned out strategies through undercover operations involving a coalition of its Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and Campus Monitoring Unit (CMU) to go after and fish out the miscreants.
The efforts appear to be paying off as the command has smashed the kidnap gangs responsible for the various kidnapping incidents in the state.
Acting on reliable intelligence at the disposal of the command, the crack teams put in place, painstaking and diligently swooped on the meeting points and residences of the identified suspects and arrested most of them.
Eleven of the suspects have been paraded at the command headquarters in Abakaliki by the State Commissioner of Police, Maiogari Dikko.
Among those paraded are the gang leader, Nnaemeka Nkpuechina and another suspect.
He was found in possession of an Ak-47 riffle snatched from a policeman in Afikpo South Local Government Area.
“Nnaemeka, 30, the gang leader is a native of Abagana in Njikoka Local Government Area of Anambra State but resides at Goddy Ogbaga Avenue, Abakaliki Ebonyi State. He claims to be an electrician,” Mr. Dikko said.
According to the Commissioner, who was represented by the Command’s spokesperson, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Chris Anyanwu other gang members arrested included a 29-year-old motorcycle operator, Amobi Igwe (a.k.a Awillo), who hails from Umuoru, Oriuzor in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
Others are Okwudili Odo, 25, a native of Ihenyi Ehamufu Anambra State but lives in Umuoru Oriuzor, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, also a motorcycle operator: Ikechukwu Ude, 31, a bus driver who shuttles between Onitsha and Awka and who is a native of Nenwe Town, Ani Nri Local Government Area of Enugu State but resides in Abagana, Anambra State.
Also paraded was one Azuka Uduji, 33, a native of Idemili, Anambra State. She is a wife of a notorious criminal, Obinna Uduji who is currently serving a fresh jail term in Enugu Federal Prisons.
“While in prison, he connects the wife to the gang for their operation and at the end of every operation; his share of ransom collected from their victims is paid through the wife’s bank account. She buys stolen vehicles”, the CP said.
The command also paraded one Ikechukwu Nwokpoku; a 30-year-old man and a native of Oriuzor, Ezza North Local Government Area who snatched the rifle from a policeman in Afikpo South Local Government Area at gunpoint and Uchenna Nweze also of Oriuzor, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State. Nweze is said to be the gang’s armourer and sells 10 rounds of live ammunition at N10, 000.
Nwafor David, 33, and Onyebuchi Edeh, 27, were also paraded. The duo were said to have kidnapped an octogenarian, Pa Michael Agara of Ndi Okpoto Village in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State and collected N600, 000 ransom from the victim’s family which was recovered by the police in a heap of sharp sand where it was buried in a block industry, located along Afikpo Road, Abakaliki and owned by Nwafor David.
ASP Chris Anyanwu said the suspects also kidnapped one Dr. Christopher Onwe and Mrs. Edith Ogwe at Democracy Estate Abakaliki and held them hostage in a bush at Oriuzor, Ezza North Local Government Area.
He said the suspects collected N400,000 ransom for the release of the victims and that the money was dropped in Ugwuagba, Oji-River Local Government Area, Enugu State.
Anyanwu further disclosed that the gang also kidnapped a Pastor’s wife, one Mrs. Aniamaka Christopher also at Democracy Estate, Abakaliki and held her hostage at Oriuzor while N300, 000 ransom was collected for her release which was dropped at Spera-in-deo Junction, Abakaliki.
He said Kia Rio Saloon car with registration number EK487BEN, ATM cards and mobile phones stolen from the victim were recovered by the police, adding that the hoodlums used the victim’s ATM and withdrew N100, 000 cash from her account.
“The suspects also kidnapped one Mrs. Geraldine Egwu of 4, Fedi Ogodo Street, Water Works Road Abakaliki and held her captive in one of the hoodlum’s houses in Oriuzor while N500, 000 ransom was dropped in Oji-River for her release,” he said.
Anyanwu revealed that ML 320 Mercedes Benz Jeep, with registration number JJJ 134 BE, N100, 000 and ATM card belonging to the victim were stolen by the hoodlums.
He listed other exhibits recovered from the suspects to include Nissan Titan open Jeep with Reg. No. KSF 576 CW, Toyota Camry, ML 320 Mercedes Benz Jeep, AK-47 rifle with breech number 56-2529721, 10 rounds of ammunition and sim cards of different GSM service providers.
Gang’s modus operandi
ASP Anyanwu said: “The gang assembles at Spera-in-deo Junction in Abakaliki from where they take off for operation. They usually do not have any particular target in mind but hunt for flashy cars. Their preferred area of operation is Democracy Estate due to its lonely nature and being an easy escape route out of town.
“The miscreants also choose to hide their victims at an identified isolated site located in Ezza North; being the native place of two of the gang members. While keeping their victims hostage, they collect their ATM cards and go to banks and withdraw all the money in their accounts. The four victims they kidnapped suffered this ordeal.”
Continuing, he said: “The worrisome angle to this heinous crime is that a jailbird, Obinna Uduji currently serving a fresh jail term at Enugu Prisons happens to be a very active member of the notorious gang.
“While in prison, Obinna Uduji monitors and directs the operation of the gang through phone calls. He transacts the business of buying stolen vehicles through his wife, Azuka Uduji, who resides at Onitsha, Anambra State. His share of every ransom collected was paid into his wife’s account from where she transacts the buying and disposal of the stolen vehicles.
“The lessons learnt from the revelations made by cracking down the hoodlums should serve as security warning for members of the public. Let us take the issue of our personal security serious.”
One of the suspects, Nnaemeka Nkpuechina told our reporter that he was arrested for kidnapping one Miss Ebele Okeke and that he led the operation.
He said the lady was driving along the road when the suspects swooped on her and drove her with the vehicle to a health centre in Oriuzor, Ezza North where she was held captive.
Nkpuechina revealed that he has kidnapped four persons since he started the business of kidnapping, adding that the gang usually collects N500, 000 ransom from every kidnapped victim.
On her part, Mrs. Azuka Uduji said her husband gave her somebody’s phone number to send money to and was on the way to meet the person when policemen arrested her.
