By Ngozi Uwujare
Two suspected kidnappers have been apprehended by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping squad of the Imo State Police Command. The arrested kidnappers were identified as Uzochukwu Ogburie, 47, and Solomon Igwe, 22.
The two suspects reportedly kidnapped a 22-year-old lady, Ifeanyi Joy, a student of Imo State University and demanded N5 million ransom from her relatives. She was kept in their hideout at Uturu in Abia State for three days before she was rescued.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Mohammed Barde told Saturday Sun that the incident happened in March 2023. He said: “When the information got to us, I ordered the commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Oladimeji Oyeyewa, a Superintendent of Police, and his operatives to pursue the criminals.
He said they mobilised to the scene and manoeuvred their way into the criminals hideout as the suspects waited for the ransom. He said the operatives took the kidnappers unawares and engaged them in a protracted gun battle .
He informed that two of the kidnappers were arrested, including Uzochukwu Ogburie of Ubahaezike Okija in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, and Solomon Igwe of Umuenyi in Igewuruta in Obiakpo Local Government Area of Rivers State. He said the others escaped into the adjourning bush with various degrees of bullet injuries.
He said the kidnapped victim was successfully rescued, even as he stated that efforts were on top gear to arrest the fleeing suspects.
Also speaking on the incident, Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Oyeyewa, said his men had a serious fight with the kidnappers in their hideout.
“We did a search of the criminals’ hideout and recovered a Lexus Rx 330 SUV and an Iphone belonging to the victim,” he informed the reporter.
The suspect, Uzochuckwu Ogburie told Saturday Sun: “We are a gang of ten kidnappers, and we came from Anambra State and carried out our operations in Imo State. We have kidnapped over 15 victims in Imo, Rivers and Abia States. We collected millions of naira from the victims’ family.
“We were able to kidnap the victim, Ifeanyi Joy through information. We had been monitoring the victim before we kidnapped her. It was when we were waiting for the ransom that the police stormed our hideout, and some of our people were shot at but escaped. We confessed, and that led to the arrest of one of the fleeing suspects, Chinaemenagwa Emeka, 29, of Amawo Atta in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State.”
CP Barde explained further that on March 26, 2023 the Anti Kidnapping Squad and operatives of the command attached to 18 PMF Owerri Road also apprehended two bandits while conducting intensive stop and search exercise along Onitsha/ Owerri Road.
He said the arrested bandits are suspected to be members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and its armed affiliate, the ESN. He gave their names as Chidi Ihiyakolam of Nekede in Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State and Ebuchika Kingsley of Ihiala in Anambra State.
Also speaking, the Commander of the Anti Kidnapping Squad, Oyeyewa stated that the police recovered three Pump Action guns, one locally made pistol, handcuffs used on the victim, two live cartridges, two phones, and other items from the suspects.
CP Barde, while commending the operatives for their cleverness and pro-activeness, urged them to sustain the tempo in stemming down the tide of terrorism and insecurity until all criminally minded elements are flushed out of the state.
He said all the suspects will soon be charged to court.