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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Two suspected abductors and a local vigilante were killed while two others sustained injuries in a gun duel in Amakohia-Ubi, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State at the weekend.
Sources in the community said the confrontation followed a tip-off from the family of a kidnapped victim who were being pressured to pay ransom.
According to the source, a relative of the victim was leading members of the Amakohia-Ubi vigilante group to the point where the abductors had instructed that the ransom be dropped.
“On getting there, one of the suspects sighted the vigilantes and bolted. One of the vigilantes gave him a chase, not knowing that his accomplices were lying in ambush nearby,” the source said.
The vigilante, said to be from Umunjam in Amakohia-Ubi and whose wife is heavily pregnant, was allegedly attacked with machetes during the ambush. He died before he could be taken to hospital.
It was during the ensuing shootout that two of the abductors were killed and another seriously wounded, the source added. One suspect was arrested while others escaped.
Residents say Amakohia-Ubi and neighboring Ndegwu have come under repeated attacks by criminal gangs in recent weeks.
Last Saturday, a couple and their four-month-old baby, along with another victim, were reportedly released after an alleged ransom of N15 million was paid.
Police authorities in Imo State are yet to issue an official statement on the latest incident as of press time.
