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By Ngozi Uwujare
The Rapid Response Squad of the Abia State Police Command has arrested two suspected armed robbers/kidnappers who allegedly robbed victims in their houses and stole their valuables items worth millions of naira.
The suspected robbers and kidnappers were also alleged to have collected millions of naira as ransom from the families of the victims.
The Commander, Rapid Response Squad, Johnbull Obiogura, a Chief Superintendent Officer (CSP) narrated details of the arrest to Saturday Sun.
Hear him: Many people in the Waterside and Ohaifia axis of Abia State have been robbed in their houses by this particular set of armed robbers. They carted away several valuable items, including Plasma television sets, clothes, gold and other jewellery. They threatened to kill the owners if they didnt cooperate and hand over the items.
He said the same gang also kidnapped the victims in their houses, robbed them and took them to their hideout, where they demanded ransom in millions of naira. Some of the victims families paid N500, 000 before their relatives were freed.
Obiogura further informed that after hearing of these incidents involving the gang of robbers and kidnappers, the RRS operatives, on March 24 2022, stormed the hideout of the gang and had an encounter with them. The police operatives arrested two suspects with a stolen Plasma television set, which belonged to one of the victims that had been robbed in their houses.
“We raided all their hideouts and recovered AK47 rifles, pump action, 30 rounds of cartridges from them while other suspects escaped with bullet wounds, Obiogura said.
He explained further that the two suspects have taken the RRS operatives to the houses of the victims and showed them how they broke through the door and robbed the occupants of the houses. He said the victims were able to identify the robbers while some of their stolen goods were recovered. Some of the items, he informed, had already been sold by the suspected robbers.
One of the victims, Mr Adam Ikechukwu told Saturday Sun his experience. Hear him: It was like a film when four members of the gang of armed robbers came to the house, breaking through the door. They robbed us of our valuables items like 42 inches plasma TV, five phones, wristwatches, collected N150, 000 and beat me to a state of coma while asking for more money.
I am from Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State. The robbers followed me to my bedroom and ransacked it looking for naira and dollars. They collected my ATM card and forced me to take them to where I withdrew N100,000 for them. They took me with them but dropped me along Port Harcourt/Aba Expressway from the car. I was trekking when I saw a Good Samaritan who rescued me. I saw hell in the hands of the armed robbers. I only thank God that they didnt shoot me. The following day, I reported the case to RRS operatives in their office, he stated.
Another victim, Julius Emeka also spoke to Saturday Sun. His words: I hail from Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State. There were four gang members that entered our compound around 8: 00pm. They ordered us to lie down and collected our phones plus the sum of N250, 000. They took my wine and demanded to be given dollars. Then they said that I was not cooperating with them, and so they took me right from my house to their hideout inside the bush. They tied my two legs and they used a cutlass to beat me like a slave. They started demanding N5million from my family. They gave me a phone to call my wife and asked my wife to send money to me.
My wife sent N200,000, but the armed robbers and kidnappers didnt accept the N200, 000. They warned me to tell my wife not to report the case at the police station, and that if she did, they would kill me. I had to cooperate with them and my wife had to send another N100, 000 to me. I was given uncooked rice and noodles as food while in their hideout. Later. I was released in the night. I only found my way out of the bush path and saw some people who were going to the farm. Those were the people that directed me to the road. I fell sick for one month and I had to stay at home where I was receiving treatment.
It was later that I heard that RRS operatives had arrested two of the suspects. I was able to identify them and waited for my stolen items and money so that I could get them. We are still on this. The items that they stole from me are worth about N1.6million. the items are still with the criminals. But at least, I was able to identify the suspect.”
One of the suspects, Emmanuel Ifeanyi Chukwu spoke to Saturday Sun. Said he: I hail from Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. We are into armed robbery and kidnapping. We are specialists in robbing victims in their houses and collecting their valuable items like Plasma TV, phones, jewellery and so on, and we also demand naira or dollars from them. We have robbed over ten victims in various houses in Aba. When they refused to cooperate with us, we would kidnap them right from their houses and took them to our hideout. Some would cooperate and those who refused to cooperate we would kidnap them. We never killed anyone.
I shot one of the victims on his right eye when he didnt cooperate with me and made me angry which prompted me to shoot him. I abandoned the victim after robbing them and left. It was the RRS operatives who arrested the victims that identified me. We have sold some of the valuable items that we stole.”
Another suspect, Ifeanyi Onyema said: “We have robbed several victims of their property. In some of our operations, I collected two laptops valued at N300,000, one IPad valued at M120,000, CCTV Machine, and electrical solar system valued at N3,200,000 .
Obiogura said the police were able to recover some of the stolen items and also vowed that the operatives would pursue the fleeing suspect and bring him to justice. He informed that the arrested suspects would be charged to court after had been concluded.
