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From Molly Kilete, Abuja
A 28-year-old man arrested for kidnapping has denied being a kidnapper but a car thief. The suspect Chinaza Philip, from Enugu State who was paraded by the Federal Capital Territory(FCT), police command, said he specializes in stealing cars from Abuja and sells them off in Kaduna, Kano and Kastina states.
Philip, who has been on the watch list of the FCT, police command, was arrested by operatives of the Kaduna police command and handed over to the FCT command after kidnapping a victim from Abuja and withdraw over N500,000, from his account.
Parading the suspects before newsmen at the command headquarters, police commissioner, Haruna Garba, said that Chinaza and his gang members kidnapped one Segun Akinyemi of No 10 Birnin Kebbi street, Garki 2 Abuja, in front of his house while driving out with his gray coloured Hilux Van with Reg. No. RBC 90 DL.
He said the matter was reported to the police who swung into action. The commissioner said that The FCT police command via the control room alerted the patrol teams and men on the entry/exit points for rescue of the victim and arrest of the suspects.
He said the suspect was eventually arrested at a filling station in Kawo, Kaduna State after an exchange of fire between the police operatives and the kidnappers.
According to the police commissioner, three of thr kidnappers escaped, while Chinaza Philip Okoye was arrested.
He was found to be in possession of Three English pistols with fifteen rounds of live ammunition and the said Hilux Van at the time of his arrest, according while the kidnapped victim who was in the vehicle was rescued unhurt.
But in an interview with journalists, Chinaza denied being a kidnapper.
The suspect who sustained gunshot injuries in his leg, said “I want to categorically state that I’m not a kidnapper, I am not a kidnapper. We only patrol at night and collect cars, and we take them to Kano for sale. I and my friends were on patrol, looking out for Cars to steal. We collect Cars from park. We saw one Hilux in a compound and we turned back. We entered and asked the owner for the key, which he gave us.
“The aim and plan was not to carry the man, but I don’t know why my friend Yellow said we should carry him. We took the man on the back seat with me. I never knew that the intention of Yellow is to collect money from him. He asked the man how much he has in his account and he said N5million. I did not have power to stop Yellow, it was one of us who was pointing gun at the man.
“It was Yellow that brought the guns. I don’t know Yellow very well, it was my friend Chidiebere who introduced me to Yellow. I did not know it was kidnapping we were in for, I thought it was our normal Car stealing.” He said.
The police commissioner who told newsmen that the suspect and his accomplices were arraigned before a High Court Judge in Kwali, Abuja, last year, were granted court bail, only for him to go back to kidnapping. He said the suspect would be charged yo court as soon as investigation is concluded.
