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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The operatives of the anti- kidnapping squad of the Imo State Police Command has uncovered a den of notorious kidnappers in Ahiazu Mbaise council area of the state who had escaped from the Owerri correctional facility during the jail break of April last year.
The operatives also rescued their victims Dominic Chukwuma, and Silas Nnawuba, who were abducted by the kidnappers on the April 30.
In statement by Imo State Police Public Relations Officer ( PPRO), Mr. Michael Abbattam, he said the operatives swung into action following a report of the kidnapping of Dominic Chukwuma and Silas Nnawubia respectively, received by the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit on April 30.
He said:”The Operatives immediately, swung into action. After gathering both credible and technical intelligence where the radar revealed the location of the criminal’s hideout in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State.”
He disclosed that the police operatives , stormed the kidnapper’s den and arrested Obinna Onuoha, 35, a native of Umuegwu Mpam, and Igbokwe Joseph,35 , a native of Umuchoko Ihitte Aforukwu, both indigenes of Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State and the victim held in captive was gallantly rescued unhurt.
According to him ,” in the course of interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime of kidnapping and revealing how they escaped from Imo Correctional Centre Jail break of April 5 , 2021 , and after their escape, they got a safe hideout in Ahiazu Mbaise, formed a kidnapping syndicate with their hideouts in strategic areas in the State. They also confessed that they were involved in most of the deadly kidnapping incidents recorded in the state.
“The suspects later took the police operatives to their various hideouts in the state where most of their gang members were arrested.
“After a thorough search was conducted in the kidnappers’ hideouts operatives recovered one AK47 rifle with breech number, 1142 ,with 84 rounds of live ammunition, four locally made Pistols, 46 rounds of live cartridges, one Toyota 4Runner SUV , belonging to the victim, multiple banks ATM cards ,stolen from their victims and the personal belongings of the victim.
“Meanwhile, the victims have since been reunited with their family members and aggressive manhunt is on to arrest the remaining members of the syndicate at large”.
