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Tag: Vampire

  • Vampire falls

    Vampire falls

    Even for a notorious and elusive kidnap kingpin, there is an end. OKODILI NDIDI reports on the killing of Henry Chibueze, who once terrorised ordinary folks and mystified security agencies

    The curtain has fallen on the 15 inglorious years of terror unleashed on the Southeast by one of the most notorious kidnappers, Henry Chibueze, known as Vampire.

    For these years, no less than 200 innocent people, including traditional rulers, government officials, businessmen and women, including children, lost their lives in the hands of the dreaded Vampire.

    His name invoked fear within the security circles, as well as in the underworld, where he was reputed to have ruled with unequalled cruelty and ruthlessness. Other gang members revered him and never dared to cross his path or undermine his strength.

    Even after his tragic end, blood-curdling stories of how he murdered his victims in cold blood after collecting ransom are still fresh in the minds of relatives and few lucky ones that came out of Vampire’s camp alive.

    Until his death, the mystery of how Vampire coordinated his vast and blood-soaked cross-border empire under the radar of security agencies has remained unsolved. He was rumoured to have fortified himself and members of his gang with charms by a reputed powerful fetish priest.

    At the height of his reign, Vampire instilled fear in the hearts of the rich who reportedly paid him millions of naira to avoid being abducted.

    Police reports said Vampire maintained one of the most sophisticated armouries boasting high-calibre weapons that can withstand the firepower of security agents. Some of the notable people that were brutally murdered by the diminutive kidnapper included a member of the Imo State House of Assembly who was killed in 2015, a traditional ruler and his wife from Mbaise Local Area of Imo State who were abducted and murdered, with their corpses still missing.

    Others were one Malaysia-based businessman who was kidnapped in Owerri and strangulated in the bush by the gang, another family of three that were kidnapped and murdered even after paying ransom.

    He was equally responsible for the wiping out of the entire family members of his girlfriend whom he accused of stealing his money, among other heinous crimes.

    Stanley Izu (not real name), whose wife was once kidnapped by Vampire, recalled his ugly experience in the hands of the gang members.

    He said, “I don’t like remembering the incident. My wife was kidnapped when she was coming back from market in front of our compound and taken to an unknown bush where she was held captive for two weeks. That was the most trying period of my life. I paid N10 million for her release. Since then my wife has never been able to get over the shock”.

    Others, especially the female victims, equally gave the gory details of how they were raped, beaten and dehumanized by Vampire.

    His gang members according to Police sources, where also at the receiving end of his cruelty. Some of them were reportedly killed and buried in shallow graves for disobeying of questioning his directives.

    Security operatives for years battled to uncover this kingpin that has remained invincible. However in 2015, luck ran out of the gang when Vampire led his men to Imo State to kidnap High Court Judges that were in the state for election assignment. He was shot and arrested by men of the DSS.

    The news of his arrest was greeted by wild jubilation within and outside security circle, victims and their family members came to catch a glimpse of the mindless Vampire.

    But the joy was short lived as Vampire who was standing trial for his numerous crimes was rescued by his men who invaded the Owerri High Court and whisked him aware.

    His dramatic escape shook the entire Southeast. That feeling of fear and anxiety that had almost gone gradually returned. People no longer kept late nights or attended occasions in flashy cars.

    And true to prediction, Vampire struck four days after his escape.

    The victims who were returning from shopping in Ikenegbu area of Owerri, were abducted and their bodies found the following day in another part of the city.

    This was followed by other cases of unconfirmed kidnappings that were later traced to members of the dreadful gang. It was also revealed that the unrepentant Vampire was also planning the big one, and his target was the Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha who placed N5million bounty on his head when he escaped.

    Police sources also disclosed that within the time he escaped, Vampire had replenished his armoury with over N5 million worth of ammunition. But like those that had reigned before him, Vampire met his waterloo in the hands of members of the Intelligence Response Team of the Inspector General of Police, who traced him to his camp in a forest in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State. He was shot dead in a gun duel, while five of his gang members were arrested, bringing to an end one of the longest reigns of terror in the Southeast.

    When the news of his death filtered in, Imo State erupted in a frenzy as politicians, businessmen, market women and students besieged the Police headquarters, to see the remains of the man that had brought them untold pain and agony.

    Policemen and other security operatives were also in high spirit as they await the arrival of the IRT who have been in the bush for two weeks tracking Vampire and his gang members.

    At last, the Police Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, who paraded the lifeless body of the notorious kidnapper, said, “the IGP sent me here to reassure the Imo people of adequate security. So the terror, fear and anxiety cursed by the escape of Vampire is now a thing of the past. People should go about their lawful businesses”.

    According to the Police spokesperson, “the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, concerned by the spate of kidnapping in the South-South, deployed the Special Forces led by the Intelligence Response Team in conjunction with the Imo State Police Command, to track down criminals in this state and other neighbouring states.

    “I want to make bold to tell you today that the principal suspect in this regard, Mr. Henry Chibueze, aka Vampire has been a terror in these states around this period, the IGP concerned by this deployed the Special Forces to track him down and to ensure that all kidnappers are rounded up and prosecuted”.

    Continuing, he said, “You will recall that the principal suspect, Vampire, was rescued by his colleagues from rescued from the Imo State High Court on the 27 of January when he was been brought for judgment, it is quite unfortunate that this happened and the Police rose up to the occasion and he was promptly arrested.

    “At the early hours of today around 1am, the Special Forces tracked him down in a village in the forest, at a location at Ikwere Local Government Area of Rivers State. On sighting the Police, they opened fire on the Special Forces first and the Forces replied the fire and in the process the Vampire was gunned down and he died while he was been taken to the hospital.

    “The other suspects played several key roles in the commission of various kidnappings and killings in this state and other neighbouring states”.

  • Police arrest Vampire’s herbalist

    Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police’ (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested an herbalist who allegedly produced charms for armed robbers and kidnappers.

    The suspect, Gad Iweajuo, 55, a native of Asoeme town in Abia State was arrested around 5:00 a.m. on Sunday.

    IRT operatives led by Abba Kyari, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), last Thursday invaded the gang’s hideout in Rivers State, killed Vampire ( Henry Chibueze) and arrested some of his members.

    The Nation gathered that a member of slain notorious armed robber’s gang led the police to the herbalist.

    According to a police source, the herbalist confessed to have prepared a ritual that enabled the gang rescue him from a High Court in Owerri, Imo State.

  • Imo’s siege of the vampire

    Imo’s siege of the vampire

    Wikipedia defined vampire, as a being from folklore who subsists by feeding on the life essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires were undead beings that often visited loved ones and caused death or mischief in the neighbourhood they inhabited when they were alive.
    So when a man styles himself vampire, he is no less expected to re-enact the attributes of that being from which his name derives. That was exactly the scenario that played out in a very dramatic manner at the premises of the Owerri High Court, Imo State a couple of days back.
    It looked like fiction. It had all the attributes of vampires portrayed in very menacing forms with dire consequences for humans. But this time, it was no fiction. It was real and live.
    The vampire really gave a good life account of its self. It did not only suck blood; it caused mischief and left in its trail sorrow and awe before disappearing very mysteriously. It did not visit loved ones but the neighbourhood where he was being detained since he is not the typical vampire that is considered to be causing trouble from its grave.
    This very vampire is known; has a name and is mortal. He is a notorious kidnapping and armed robbery suspect who has been standing trial at the Owerri High Court for related offences. Accounts had it that heavily armed gunmen penultimate Friday, stormed the high court premises shooting sporadically killing two people with many others critically wounded in a bid to free a notorious kidnap suspect, Henry Chibueze, popularly known as vampire.
    The invading gunmen numbering about six stormed the court room where the suspect and 49 others were standing trial, opened fire and successfully ferried away vampire in a waiting SUV vehicle. It was a scene to behold as judges, lawyers and some security men scampered for safety. Three judges and one magistrate were reported to have sustained serious injuries and taken to the hospital.
    Coincidentally, vampire was arrested in 2015 by the DSS while planning to kidnap some judges who were in the state for a conference and has been standing trial since then. He is said to be linked to many high profile kidnappings, killings and armed robbery cases and had evaded security until the DSS succeeded in arresting him.
    With his escape, an uneasy air now pervades the state as there is palpable fear of an upsurge in kidnapping and related criminal activities. Nobody knows what will follow next given the dexterity and brazen impunity with which his colleagues in crime ferried him to safety. As usual, security operatives are said to be on “top of the situation’ to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order.
    Expectedly, they have commenced a manhunt to apprehend the escapee and clear the huge embarrassment the incident represents. This is more so given that the Owerri High Court is so strategically located that if the gun men could operate so freely in the manner they did, whisking away such a dangerous and high profile suspect, then Imo people have genuine cause to be apprehensive of their lives.
    For, apart from the high court being located close to the Government House and the official residence of the Commander of the 34 Field Artillery Brigade, Obinze, the area is heavily manned by soldiers and policemen with armoured personnel carrier stationed close by. It was therefore curious that the armed men could operate freely in the brazen manner they did without resistance.
    The state governor, Rochas Okorocha was reported to have placed a ransom of N5 million for any person that will volunteer information that will lead to the arrest of the escaped suspect to underscore the seriousness of the matter. But the state Police Commissioner Taiwo Lakanu in his initial reaction to the monumental challenge was unfortunately reported to have said it was the headache of the Nigerian Prisons Service.
    If by that statement Lakanu was implying that the siege occurred when officials of the prison service brought the suspects to court and are therefore culpable for mismanaging the situation, he could be understood. But if the purport of that statement is that the state police command has nothing to do with the embarrassing development, then he got it entirely wrong. Could it be the reason why despite the strong security mounted around the court premises, there was no challenge to the impunity of the bandits until they had fulfilled their mission and vamoosed into the thin air?
    Such a statement raises puzzles about the security architecture erected around the area and the synergy that ought to exist between the various security agencies in such emergency situations that miserably left them all gaping. One would have wished to find out the responses of the police and the military immediately the assault was going on.
    So the matter is not just the headache of the prisons as Lakanu would make us to believe but the headache of the entire security operatives in the state including the governor who off course is the chief security officer of the state.
    Now that vampire and some other suspects are at large, the state police command and other related agencies cannot fold their hands just because the unfortunate incident was mishandled by the prison authorities. The fact that armed criminals could brazenly assault the state and escape without challenge is enough worry for the police which Lakanu leads. He may now find out that much of the responsibility for tracking down and re-arresting vampire and his colleagues in crime would still rest on the shoulders of the police.
    Though there may have been dereliction of responsibility on the part of the prison officials for not making adequate security arrangements before conveying the suspects to court, it would appear the usual rivalry between the various security agencies may have had a role in bringing about the unfortunate pass. We say so given that the prisons did admit that they got a call that some armed men were in the court premises but presumed they could be officials of the DSS since they were conveying over 50 inmates to the court.
    And if one may wish to ask, what are the usual arrangements when such a huge number of suspects are to be brought to court? Why did the prison authorities presume that the armed men sighted within the court premises are officials of the DSS? And why did it not occur to someone to cross-check given the sensitivity of the assignment they were to embark upon? These are issues that should be established through a thorough and very serious investigation involving all arms of the nation’s security agencies.
    This reality speaks volumes and only a very detailed investigation could unravel why armed men were sighted within the court premises and nobody raised eyebrows. It is also a big puzzle how such a contingent of armed men arrived the court premises without being noticed by the security agencies within the area. And when actual shootings started, why was response zero?
    Suspicion of connivance between some prison officials and the criminals has been raised. More so with reports that a prison official had in the past been caught sharing kidnapping information with some suspects and that such a plan was even executed by some suspects while in detention. These are very troubling developments that out to provide quick lead to the direction of the probe.
    Given all the issues that have been traded, the federal government should set up a high-powered investigation team involving all arms of the security agencies to get at the root of this national embarrassment. Definitely, there is more to the escape of the suspects than ordinarily meets the eyes. The impression fast gaining ground is that there is an official dimension to the escape of vampire and his accomplices.

  • Like Vampire like El Chapo

    Like Vampire like El Chapo

    Alleged cross-border kidnap kingpin Henry Chibueze’s dramatic escape from a court in Owerri, the Imo State capital, just as drug lord El Chapo did in Mexico, has left the state’s residents terrified, writes OKODILI NDIDI. Additional reporting by OGOCHUKWU IKEJE

    Henry Chibueze, the alleged cross-border kidnapper, who escaped from a court in Owerri, the Imo State capital, may well have a soul mate, if not a mentor, in Joaquin Gusman, also known as El Chapo, a Mexican drug baron, reputed to be one of the most dreaded, brutal and powerful men on earth. El Chapo who reigns over a vast drug cartel, which supplies narcotics to the United States and Europe, among other locations, is said to have murdered many persons and was always one step ahead of the law.

    In 1993, Gusman was captured in Guatemala and extradited to Mexico where he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder and drug trafficking. He bribed prison guards and escaped from a federal maximum security prison. He was rearrested in 2014 in Mexico but in 2015 he escaped again from prison through a tunnel that led to a construction site. He was recaptured in January last year and extradited to the US last month to face trial. The world is waiting for what comes next.

    Vampire may not be as rich as El Chapo, but he is just as stocky of build as his South American hero, and boasts the Mexican’s cold bravado, influence and methods.

    Since Vampire’s dramatic escape, the feeling in Imo has been that of fear and uncertainty, especially among the business class. Prior to his escape from custody, residents of Owerri had heaved a sigh of relief, just as his arrest in 2015 elicited widespread jubilation but this sense of safety has suddenly been replaced with fear.

    This feeling of insecurity may not be unconnected with the terror unleashed on the wealthy residents of the state and other parts of the Southeast by Vampire and his gang before he was arrested by men of the DSS in May 2015.

    At different drinking outlets in the Imo State capital and other public places, the Vampire’s escape is the latest topic of discussion, even though the name is mentioned in hushed tones.

    He was arrested in May 2015 by the Department of State Security (DSS) but why he was not nabbed earlier is a mystery, even though the security community said they had kept an eye for him for more than 10 years.

    Whatever the case, his disappearance has left many in Imo scratching their heads, not to mention the fact that no one knows where he is or what might be going in his mind.

    The fear is understandable. Vampire is reputed to be a cold-blooded killer. He wasted his victims at little provocation. For instance, he did not hesitate to shoot and kill the people he kidnapped if thought their relatives were not forthcoming with the ransom or if he felt they were delaying.

    He is also known to have the heart of a lion, moving on the streets with his arms in search of anyone who offended him. For instance, he relived the killing operation he once launched against his girlfriend.

    Diminutive with broad shoulders and a pair of burning eyeballs that betray his ruthlessness, Vampire recounted how wiped out his girlfriend’s folks.

    “Yes, I killed my girlfriend and her parents because she stole my N45 million I kept in my house. I went to her family house in Lagos and when she saw me coming she ran into the house. I went in and shot her and other people in the house. She died instantly but I don’t know how others died”.

    Born 36 years ago to the family of Chibueze in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, Vampire who was orphaned at the age of seven, joined the world of crime at the age of eleven, after dropping out of school.

    During his interrogation at the DSS office in Owerri, he took to crime after his elder brother sent him out of the house because he could no longer pay his school fees.

    He also told of how he first tried out his hands in crime in the Southeast, then travelled to Cotonou where he learned the evil trade of kidnapping for ransom.

    Feeling he had received enough tutelage, Vampire returned home to put his knowledge to practice. He did not do it alone, probably sensing that he would accomplish little if he struck on his own. He recruited several persons, some with military backgrounds, like those who deserted military service and still using even their identity cards. Former militants were also brought in, and together they wreaked havoc, kidnapping, collecting ransom and killing their victims. Their onslaught last for over five years.

    Luck once ran out on him. According to the then Imo State Director of the DSS, Francis Ejiofor, Vampire was arrested after an operation in which the victim was released after the family paid N15 million ransom.

    Ejiofor noted, “This suspect Mr. Henry Chibueze, aka Vampire engages in kidnapping from Nigeria to Cotonou, Niger and Ivory Coast. He is a vicious kidnapper and he kills his victim at the slightest suspicion that security operatives are on his trail.

    “When we learnt that he was in the state and had kidnapped a woman we waited until he has collected the ransom and released the woman and we went after him. We traced him to a hotel close to Owerri where he was planning to kidnap the Tribunal Judges who were lodged there but our men stormed the place and he escaped with gunshot wounds to the home of his native doctor in Abia State where he was picked up. Another member of the gang who provides the security cover for the gang is an Army deserter, Akeem Bello who still uses his Identity Card to navigate security checkpoints”.

    The DSS boss attributed the successful smashing of the notorious gang to the support of the state government, assuring that the Department will end incidents of kidnapping in the state in no distant time.

    The arrest of Vampire was celebrated across the Southeast with some of the victims thronging the DSS office to give account of their horrific ordeals at his hands. Of particular note was the father of Vampire’s late girlfriend who he murdered alongside her mother and siblings in Lagos state for allegedly bolting with his money. The man came all the way from Abia State with pictures of his murdered children and wife and pleaded that Vampire should be made to pay for what he did to his family and others.

    But rather than face the music for his crimes, Vampire, immediately he was remanded at the Owerri Prisons, assumed a king status and was worshipped by other inmates and corrupt Prison officials.

    Vampire at the prison continued with his kidnapping racket and allegedly recruited some prison wardens who served as go-between for him and his gang members in the outside world. He was allowed uncommon privileges to the extent that he was receiving visitors, some of them his gang members and had unrestricted access to his phones, laptops and concubines.

    In 2016, a warden serving in Owerri Prison and a member of Vampire’s gang was arrested for kidnapping and charged to court and remanded in prison.

    It would appear that Vampire also has very loyal members who would risk anything to set their master free.

    Last Friday, those diehard loyals staged an El Chapo-like rescue effort, stunnig everyone in that courtroom, from the judges to the litigants, reporters to court workers, and to just about anyone in sight.

    The guns began to boom. Everyone ran in different directions. Vampire’s men picked out their boss and took him away. It looked that simple.

    In Imo, and possibly beyond, fear has set in. Where is Vampire? What might he do next? Why was the security community caught napping?

    In Mexico, such questions were also asked. Unfortunately, there were not many answers. With El Chapo, you never knew; you could never tell how things happened the way they did. Even in the case of Vampire, you cannot quite explain why things happened the way did.

  • Vampire: Prisons Comptroller- General visits Imo

    Vampire: Prisons Comptroller- General visits Imo

    •Okorocha places N5m
    reward on fleeing abductor

    The Comptroller-General of Nigeria Prison Services (NPS), Ahmed Ja’afaru, has visited the Imo State Prison Command for on-the-spot assessment of the escape of notorious kidnapper, Henry Chibueze (aka Vampire), who was freed by gunmen on Owerri High Court premises.
    Deputy Governor Eze Madumere, who hosted the NPS chief, called for synergy among security operatives to forestall a repeat of the incident.
    Madumere said Governor Rochas Okorocha’s passion for security of life and property was paramount.
    He said the governor had built a cordial relationship with security agencies to ensure that residents and their property were free, secure and safe.
    The deputy governor said the state planned to collaborate with security agencies to prevent a recurrence.
    Madumere said it would be more rewarding for security agencies to work together in securing inmates, especially during their trials.
    Ja’afaru said he was in the state to get first-hand report on what caused Vampire’s escape.
    The comptroller-general described the incident as unfortunate, adding that NPS had taken steps to stop its repeat.
    Assuring the public of improved services, the NPS chief said the service bought 320 vehicles to carry inmates to courts to ensure quick dispensation of justice.
    He said there was need for make-shift cells at the High Court to accommodate prison inmates, rather than keep them in the open.
    The Chief Judge, Justice Paschal Nnadi said the bandits, who struck at the court, must have understudied the court premises to know the areas of weakness before they carried out their plan.
    He called for tight security for prison inmates, visitors and judges.
    Also, the delegation to the prison saw some inmates with gun wounds and asked them questions.
    The inmates said the bandits dressed as security agents, wearing bullet-proof vests.
    They said the gunmen escaped with Vampire in a red Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

  • Vampire, king of the underworld

    Vampire, king of the underworld

    His life depicts the image of a sheep without shepherd. Henry Chibueze (aka Vampire) became a kingpin in the crime world with the Southeast and Southsouth as his turf. But Vampire has not only become a burden to the two regions, he is giving other parts of the country sleepless nights, following his escape from Owerri, Imo State, when he was taken to court for trial over his abduction cases, reports Okodili NDIDI

    Until his arrest in May, 2015 by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Imo State, not much was known about Henry Chibueze (aka Vampire) in the criminal underworld, though he had been on security watch list for over a decade.
    The diminutive man with broad shoulders and a pair of penetrating eyeballs that betrays his wickedness and ruthlessness was one of the most dreaded cross-border kidnappers. His reign of terror extends to neighbouring countries.
    Born 36 years ago to the family of Chibueze in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, Vampire was orphaned at the age of seven. He took to crime at 11, after he dropped out of school.
    During his interrogation at the DSS office in Owerri, Henry said he took to crime after his older brother sent him out of the house when he could no longer pay his school fees.
    After a little stint with some gangs in the Southeast, Vampire travelled to Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, where he was trained in kidnapping for ransom.
    Vampire returned to Nigeria and recruited some notorious ex-militants and Army deserters to form the most dreaded kidnap gang that terrorised the Southsouth and the Southeast for over five years.
    In his confession to the DSS, Vampire said: “I started kidnapping five years ago and I joined the business because my people did not train me. I am from Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State. I have killed many people but I don’t want to be released now; I want to stay in custody for many years so that my brain will cool down.
    “I live in Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire) with my wife and only daughter. I don’t know if she is aware that I have been arrested because she does not know the kind of business I do.”
    Vampire said he could not remember how many people he had killed because the family failed to pay up the ransom or delayed the payment.
    He relived how he wiped out the family of his girlfriend, who he said absconded with his N45 million.
    Vampire said: “Yes, I killed my girlfriend and her parents because she stole the N45 million I kept in my house. I went to her family house in Lagos and when she saw me coming, she ran into the house. I went in and shot her and other people in the house. She died instantly but I don’t know how others died.”

    His arrest
    A former Imo State Director of the DSS, Francis Ejiofor said Vampire was arrested after an operation where the victim was released after the family paid N15 million ransom.
    Ejiofor said: “Henry Chibueze engages in kidnapping from Nigeria to Cotonou, Niger and Cote D’Ivoire. He is a vicious kidnapper and he killed his victims at the slightest suspicion that security operatives were on his trail.
    “When we learnt he was in the state and had kidnapped a woman, we waited until he had collected the ransom and released the woman. Then we went after him.
    “We traced him to a hotel close to Owerri, where he was planning to kidnap tribunal judges who were lodged there. But our men stormed the place and he escaped with gunshot wounds to the home of his native doctor in Abia State, where he was picked up.
    “Another member of the gang, who provided the security cover for the gang, is an Army deserter, Akeem Bello. He still uses his identity card to penetrate security checkpoints.”
    The DSS chief attributed the successful smashing of Vampire’s gang to the support of the state government.

    Life in prison
    The arrest of Vampire was celebrated across the Southeast with some of the victims thronging the DSS office to give accounts of their ordeals in his hands.
    The father of Vampire’s late girlfriend recounted the family’s ordeal.
    The man travelled from Abia State with pictures of his slain children and wife. He pleaded with authorities to ensure that Vampire got punished for what he did to his family and others.
    But when he was remanded at Owerri Prisons, Vampire assumed a king’s status: he was “worshipped” by other inmates and corrupt prison officials.
    The hoodlum continued his kidnapping racket and allegedly recruited some prison wardens, who served as emissaries between him and his gang members outside the prison.
    He was reportedly allowed many privileges to the extent that he was receiving visitors, including his gang members. He was said to have and allowed access to phones, laptops and concubines.
    In 2016, a warden at Owerri Prisons and a member of Vampire’s gang were arrested for kidnapping and charged to court. They were remanded in prison until he was broke out by their gang members.

    Road to escape
    From the day Vampire was arrested, security agencies were locked in supremacy battle.
    The three major players – the police, DSS and prison authority – were engulfed in ego.
    It was learnt the police attempted to retake Vampire from prison for further investigation, after he was named by the warden, but the prison authority allegedly refused to release him.
    The situation led to a serious disagreement resulting in a shootout between the police and the prison officials. It was after this incident that the Police, apparently out of anger washed off their hands in the Vampire’s case and this weakened whatever security measure that could have been put in place to check the most wanted kidnapper.

    His escape
    Last Friday, Owerri Prison officials took off with 50 suspects who had cases in court. Vampire was among them. Even though Prisons spokesman James Madugba said the command had intelligence report about “unusual presence” of armed men around the court premises, he said they were mistaken for DSS officials on routine duty.
    The court was surrounded by the Office of the Deputy Governor and the governor’s wife, home of police commissioner and an Army commander. Activities were at normal tempo around the court premises.
    The courtrooms were filled and the judges were seated. The day’s legal business was about to begin.
    Suddenly, the Prisons vehicle, which bring suspects arrived; it was followed by a black Sport Utility Vehicle carrying armed members of the notorious kidnap gang. The hoodlums had come to rescue their boss.
    As the convoy pulled up and the suspects disembarked and headed towards the courtrooms, the gunmen opened fire on the Prisons officials. They went straight for Vampire. The criminal kingpin collected one of the rifles, walked up to a wounded warden and shot him at close range. He joined the shooting.
    On hearing the sounds of the gun, the judges and lawyers escaped through the perimeter fence.
    Within the 30 minutes the operation lasted, the gang freed Vampire and 49 other suspects.

    Manhunt for Vampire
    Shortly after the escape, security operatives cordoned off the court premises and the search for the fleeing gang began.
    Police spokesman Andrew Enwerem said the command had deployed its men to strategic locations within and across the state to apprehend Vampire.
    Governor Rochas Okorocha convened an emergency security meeting where he announced a N5 million reward for information on the whereabouts of the fleeing criminal.

  • Vampire, king of the underworld

    Vampire, king of the underworld

    Until his arrest in May, 2015 by the Department of State Security (DSS) in Imo State, not much was known about Henry Chibueze (aka Vampire) in the criminal underworld, though he had been on security watch list for over a decade.
    The diminutive man with broad shoulders and a pair of penetrating eyeballs that betrays his wickedness and ruthlessness was one of the most dreaded cross-border kidnappers. His reign of terror extends to neighbouring countries.
    Born 36 years ago to the family of Chibueze in Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State, Vampire was orphaned at the age of seven. He took to crime at 11, after he dropped out of school.
    During his interrogation at the DSS office in Owerri, Henry said he took to crime after his older brother sent him out of the house when he could no longer pay his school fees.
    After a little stint with some gangs in the Southeast, Vampire travelled to Cotonou in the Republic of Benin, where he was trained in kidnapping for ransom.
    Vampire returned to Nigeria and recruited some notorious ex-militants and Army deserters to form the most dreaded kidnap gang that terrorised the Southsouth and the Southeast for over five years.
    In his confession to the DSS, Vampire said: “I started kidnapping five years ago and I joined the business because my people did not train me. I am from Nwangele Local Government Area of Imo State. I have killed many people but I don’t want to be released now; I want to stay in custody for many years so that my brain will cool down.
    “I live in Abidjan (Cote D’Ivoire) with my wife and only daughter. I don’t know if she is aware that I have been arrested because she does not know the kind of business I do.”
    Vampire said he could not remember how many people he had killed because the family failed to pay up the ransom or delayed the payment.
    He relived how he wiped out the family of his girlfriend, who he said absconded with his N45 million.
    Vampire said: “Yes, I killed my girlfriend and her parents because she stole the N45 million I kept in my house. I went to her family house in Lagos and when she saw me coming, she ran into the house. I went in and shot her and other people in the house. She died instantly but I don’t know how others died.”

    His arrest
    A former Imo State Director of the DSS, Francis Ejiofor said Vampire was arrested after an operation where the victim was released after the family paid N15 million ransom.
    Ejiofor said: “Henry Chibueze engages in kidnapping from Nigeria to Cotonou, Niger and Cote D’Ivoire. He is a vicious kidnapper and he killed his victims at the slightest suspicion that security operatives were on his trail.
    “When we learnt he was in the state and had kidnapped a woman, we waited until he had collected the ransom and released the woman. Then we went after him.
    “We traced him to a hotel close to Owerri, where he was planning to kidnap tribunal judges who were lodged there. But our men stormed the place and he escaped with gunshot wounds to the home of his native doctor in Abia State, where he was picked up.
    “Another member of the gang, who provided the security cover for the gang, is an Army deserter, Akeem Bello. He still uses his identity card to penetrate security checkpoints.”
    The DSS chief attributed the successful smashing of Vampire’s gang to the support of the state government.

    Life in prison
    The arrest of Vampire was celebrated across the Southeast with some of the victims thronging the DSS office to give accounts of their ordeals in his hands.
    The father of Vampire’s late girlfriend recounted the family’s ordeal.
    The man travelled from Abia State with pictures of his slain children and wife. He pleaded with authorities to ensure that Vampire got punished for what he did to his family and others.
    But when he was remanded at Owerri Prisons, Vampire assumed a king’s status: he was “worshipped” by other inmates and corrupt prison officials.
    The hoodlum continued his kidnapping racket and allegedly recruited some prison wardens, who served as emissaries between him and his gang members outside the prison.
    He was reportedly allowed many privileges to the extent that he was receiving visitors, including his gang members. He was said to have and allowed access to phones, laptops and concubines.
    In 2016, a warden at Owerri Prisons and a member of Vampire’s gang were arrested for kidnapping and charged to court. They were remanded in prison until he was broke out by their gang members.

    Road to escape
    From the day Vampire was arrested, security agencies were locked in supremacy battle.
    The three major players – the police, DSS and prison authority – were engulfed in ego.
    It was learnt the police attempted to retake Vampire from prison for further investigation, after he was named by the warden, but the prison authority allegedly refused to release him.
    The situation led to a serious disagreement resulting in a shootout between the police and the prison officials.
    It was after this incident that the Police, apparently out of anger washed off their hands in the Vampire’s case and this weakened whatever security measure that could have been put in place to check the most wanted kidnapper.

    His escape
    Last Friday, Owerri Prison officials took off with 50 suspects who had cases in court. Vampire was among them. Even though Prisons spokesman James Madugba said the command had intelligence report about “unusual presence” of armed men around the court premises, he said they were mistaken for DSS officials on routine duty.
    The court was surrounded by the Office of the Deputy Governor and the governor’s wife, home of police commissioner and an Army commander. Activities were at normal tempo around the court premises.
    The courtrooms were filled and the judges were seated. The day’s legal business was about to begin.
    Suddenly, the Prisons vehicle, which bring suspects arrived; it was followed by a black Sport Utility Vehicle carrying armed members of the notorious kidnap gang. The hoodlums had come to rescue their boss.
    As the convoy pulled up and the suspects disembarked and headed towards the courtrooms, the gunmen opened fire on the Prisons officials. They went straight for Vampire. The criminal kingpin collected one of the rifles, walked up to a wounded warden and shot him at close range. He joined the shooting.
    On hearing the sounds of the gun, the judges and lawyers escaped through the perimeter fence.
    Within the 30 minutes the operation lasted, the gang freed Vampire and 49 other suspects.

    Manhunt for Vampire
    Shortly after the escape, security operatives cordoned off the court premises and the search for the fleeing gang began.
    Police spokesman Andrew Enwerem said the command had deployed its men to strategic locations within and across the state to apprehend Vampire.
    Governor Rochas Okorocha convened an emergency security meeting where he announced a N5 million reward for information on the whereabouts of the fleeing criminal.

  • Day of the vampire

    If Hardball could write film scripts, the above title would have been stuff for an epic action-packed flick. It was actually a life occurrence; right here in this land, with all the effects and stunts enacted in real life and not a single action was make-believe. Let’s say that the action was simply too real to be real.

    And we can also try out various other titles, if nothing else, for the fun of it. How about: “The Vampire strikes back?”: “To spring a Vampire” or “The way of the Vampire.” All of these would be quite apt and appropriate for banner headline or poster head for this blockbuster movie.

    It happened (you may say ‘live’ if you will) only last Friday in Owerri, that feisty heartland city of Imo State. The town has had its fair share of youth rascality and turbulence; it did not lag behind in the hay days of kidnapping. In fact, it may be said to be one of the breeding grounds of the illicit trade in the early days.

    Remember also that the raucous, fun-loving city gave Nigeria the Otokoto saga: that kidnapping, organ-harvesting and ritualistic conundrum that later blew up when the people mobilised and said: “Enough is enough.”

    Is Owerri about to up the ante once again in the art of brazen criminality? Is that beautiful, cozy city about to lead the way in extreme gangsterism and dare-devilry? Though the scene is better witnessed than described, let us try a recount of what transpired on the serene premises of Owerri High Court late last week.

    The court session was about to begin that mid-morning; prison officials had brought some of the suspects to court and judges and lawyers had taken their places. Suddenly, the hoarse cacophony of rapid gunfire seized the atmosphere and the entire premises was afire.

    Soldiers at the gate reportedly fled at the first sound of gunshots, knowing the difference between a dane gun and a pump action. Judges and magistrates scaled fences with the dexterity of ghosts (except that they are no ghosts as some of them still lay in hospital beds now).

    When the dust settled, about six people were reportedly felled, a good number injured and most telling, an alleged kidnap kingpin known as Vampire had been spirited away by his members. The action, as always, took only a moment or a split second as we always like to put it.

    Vampire: real name, Henry Chibueze, was said to have enjoyed untoward privileges even in detention. He had access to cell phones, ran his criminal gang and even caroused with his female friends.

    Apart from a dead prison system that has allowed this mess; the court from which Vampire was spirited away is hemmed by the Government House, the State DSS Headquarters, the State Police Command only a stone throw away and the Command House of the 34 Brigade.

    But who can fathom the way of a vampire?