- Police rescue traditional ruler, wife in Imo
"Let me confess I was misled by my friends who introduced me into kidnapping. I did it but I am asking for forgiveness. I will not do it again."
This was the sober confession of a kidnapper, Chikwado Igbo, from Ohuba in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State who along with 27 different gangsters held Imo citizens hostage for the past three months.
The notorious kidnappers were paraded at the Imo State Police Command headquarters, Owerri after they were arrested at various locations within and outside the state.
Making his confession, Chikwado who paired in handcuffs with another notorious gangster, Emmanuel Nwankwo alias 'Egusi' wept profusely when he remembered the admonition of his mother. "My mother warned me not to follow bad gangs but I did not listen. I just finished my schooling and this is the only time I followed them," he added.
He, however, ran out of luck when the state police command's Ambush Squad arrested him and Emmanuel on September 12, 2013 in a thick forest along Obosirus, Ohaji/Egbema where they held one Marshall Okwuoha of Umungwu Obosima captive.
Another suspect, Chidi Amadi from Amucha in Njaba LGA, narrated also how he was arrested when his colleagues asked him to collect ransom at Multi Line Motors, Warri, Delta State from the family of a female victim kidnapped at Aladinma Housing Estate.
Chidi who runs errand for robbery/kidnapping gang from Warri was at the Motor Park to collect the negotiated ransom when the police trailed him to the park where he was arrested.
"My friends kidnapped the woman's daughter and asked me to go and collect the ransom. They followed me to the park and abandoned me there and ran away," he confessed. For Henry Okere a native of Uzoagba in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, his hostel mate took him to their village at Mbano for a gang fight but the youths of the village apprehended him when a woman raised an alarm.
But his statement conflicted with the police report which said that Henry, Sunny Elekwachi both from Ikeduru and Ahamefula Ozoemena from Mbeke village, Isiala Mbano LGA and two others at large were arrested at their hideout at Ehime Mbano on September 9, 2013 after a gun duel when the police went there to rescue a female kidnap victim, Agnes Onuwuzuike of Amudi Aro Agbaja, Mbano LGA. Also the police paraded Osuagwu Chibueze who shot a traditional ruler, HRH Eze Nwokeke on the leg before kidnapping his wife, Ugoeze Ego Nwokeke, on August 8, 2013 at Nkwumeato, Ihitte Uboma LGA.
After a serious intensive manhunt the suspect was arrested at Achingali Obowo while robbing pump attendance in a filling station with other gang members who are now at large.
Luck also was against another notorious criminal Tony Raphael of Umuchie, Ngor Okpalla LGA, who kidnapped now rescued traditional ruler of Umuoli Eziama, Ngor Okpalla, HRH Eze Hycienth Nwamadi in his palace. The police trailed him to Igwuruta, Rivers State where he was arrested.
The state Commissioner of Police Muhammad Katsina disclosed that the success of the command's "operation puff adder" resulted in the smashing of the gang. He disclosed that the police acting on a tip off rounded the kidnappers up in their hideouts, rescuing many of their victims including some huge amount of money paid as ransoms. He however said that the operation would continue until after the New Year to aide a hitch free yuletide.