Anambra police rescue groom 8 days after wedding date - 4 suspects killed, 3 arrested
It was judgment day yesterday for four kidnap suspects as they met their waterloo in the hands of the policemen while trying to escape from their hideout in Mbosi, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. The suspects were members of a gang that had been terrorizing the state for a long time.
The policemen who were led by the officer-in-charge of Operations in the State Police Command, B. D. Makama, also rescued the 34-year-old groom, Mr. Stephen Orjiakor who was kidnapped by the gang a day to his traditional marriage.
Furthermore, the police arrested three suspects including the father of the leader of the gang popularly called Ichie and who is now at large. They also recovered a cut-to-size double barrel gun and cartridges.
Speaking to newsmen on the operation when the bodies of the four suspects and the three arrested suspects were brought to the State Command Headquarters, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka said men of the command led by the AC Operations stormed the hide-out of the kidnappers following a tip-off by a spirited individual.
He said, “Our men led by the AC Operations left here by 3am and stormed the hideout at Mbosi, border town between Anambra and Imo States. On sighting our men, they began to shoot and when it was obvious that we will overpower them, they started jumping the fence of the uncompleted building in a very large compound. It was in the process that these four were shot dead.
“Our men rescued this young man who said they kidnapped him on April 15, 2012, a day to his traditional marriage. You can see the leg cuff they put on him.
“Our team also went to the house of their leader and arrested his father who had come to collect money which we believe is the proceed of the kidnapping business from his son. He also confirmed that what they call his son is Ichie and two other young men there who we feel are also beneficiaries.”
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers, Mr. Orjiakor said he was on his way back from his in-law’s place in Amannachi in Imo State on Sunday, April 15, 2012 in his Sport Utility Vehicle, a Toyota Highlander when the hoodlums intercepted him in their own SUV and ordered him out.
He said, “On my way back to my village, Ihiala, I was in my vehicle, Toyota Highlander, with my elder brother. There is a place between Imo and Anambra; there is a pothole, so immediately I slowed down at that pothole, I saw one Infinity SUV across me. Five boys came out and within seconds, all of them were armed with guns and they said I should not go anywhere, that if I move, they will shoot me.
“Immediately, I removed my foot from the throttle, I went down and my brother also alighted. They collected all my phones, carried me and put me inside their own vehicle and one of them drove my own. When they carried me, I didn’t know where I was again. I kept begging them to please leave me. As at that time, I never knew they left my brother.”
Orjiakor who said that he would have been killed yesterday but for the intervention of the police that rescued him, disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded the sum of N50 million. Later they brought it down to N20 million and then to N10 million and had given him the final chance and threatened to kill him yesterday if his people failed to pay the N10 million ransom.
He further said, “From that N50 million, they cut down to N20 million. They said, okay, can you afford N20 million? My Oga said he doesn’t have that kind of money; that we are from poor family, that nobody can raise that kind of money. They said that means that they want me to die and that I will die, that they have another work at hand and that it is not only me that they have at hand.
“The other one that was staying with me told me that they have too much work, that their Oga is getting angry and that if I’m not serious, they will be attending to other people that are serious; that they will kill me today (Tuesday) because they have other outside work that they want to do.”
It was judgment day yesterday for four kidnap suspects as they met their waterloo in the hands of the policemen while trying to escape from their hideout in Mbosi, Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State. The suspects were members of a gang that had been terrorizing the state for a long time.
The policemen who were led by the officer-in-charge of Operations in the State Police Command, B. D. Makama, also rescued the 34-year-old groom, Mr. Stephen Orjiakor who was kidnapped by the gang a day to his traditional marriage.
Speaking to newsmen on the operation when the bodies of the four suspects and the three arrested suspects were brought to the State Command Headquarters, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Emeka Chukwuemeka said men of the command led by the AC Operations stormed the hide-out of the kidnappers following a tip-off by a spirited individual.
He said, “Our men led by the AC Operations left here by 3am and stormed the hideout at Mbosi, border town between Anambra and Imo States. On sighting our men, they began to shoot and when it was obvious that we will overpower them, they started jumping the fence of the uncompleted building in a very large compound. It was in the process that these four were shot dead.
“Our men rescued this young man who said they kidnapped him on April 15, 2012, a day to his traditional marriage. You can see the leg cuff they put on him.
“Our team also went to the house of their leader and arrested his father who had come to collect money which we believe is the proceed of the kidnapping business from his son. He also confirmed that what they call his son is Ichie and two other young men there who we feel are also beneficiaries.”
Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the kidnappers, Mr. Orjiakor said he was on his way back from his in-law’s place in Amannachi in Imo State on Sunday, April 15, 2012 in his Sport Utility Vehicle, a Toyota Highlander when the hoodlums intercepted him in their own SUV and ordered him out.
He said, “On my way back to my village, Ihiala, I was in my vehicle, Toyota Highlander, with my elder brother. There is a place between Imo and Anambra; there is a pothole, so immediately I slowed down at that pothole, I saw one Infinity SUV across me. Five boys came out and within seconds, all of them were armed with guns and they said I should not go anywhere, that if I move, they will shoot me.
“Immediately, I removed my foot from the throttle, I went down and my brother also alighted. They collected all my phones, carried me and put me inside their own vehicle and one of them drove my own. When they carried me, I didn’t know where I was again. I kept begging them to please leave me. As at that time, I never knew they left my brother.”
Orjiakor who said that he would have been killed yesterday but for the intervention of the police that rescued him, disclosed that the kidnappers had demanded the sum of N50 million. Later they brought it down to N20 million and then to N10 million and had given him the final chance and threatened to kill him yesterday if his people failed to pay the N10 million ransom.
He further said, “From that N50 million, they cut down to N20 million. They said, okay, can you afford N20 million? My Oga said he doesn’t have that kind of money; that we are from poor family, that nobody can raise that kind of money. They said that means that they want me to die and that I will die, that they have another work at hand and that it is not only me that they have at hand.
“The other one that was staying with me told me that they have too much work, that their Oga is getting angry and that if I’m not serious, they will be attending to other people that are serious; that they will kill me today (Tuesday) because they have other outside work that they want to do.”
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