Operatives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Special Intelligence Response Team, SIRT, in Rivers state have arrested a nine-man kidnap syndicate operating in Port Harcourt, the state capital.
The suspects, responsible for most of the kidnappings that had occurred within GRA Phase 2, Borokiri General Area and YKC axis of Woji area, were apprehended in a five-hour raid on Wednesday.
The state police spokesperson, DSP Omoni Nnamdi, who paraded the suspects on Saturday, said investigation on the scale of the operations of the gang was still on, adding that the police was making efforts to arrest other members of the gang who are now at large.
According to him, the raid led to the arrest of Daniel Gabriel (33), Alaso Igodo (25), Akeodi Aselemi (34), Ayibinmotei Livinus (25), Anikuroka Marshal (33), Biebele Elijah (34) Efiye Anda (34), Daniel Lessor (31) and Isaac Reuben (27), all living within the Port Harcourt metropolis.
He said, “The string of events which led to the apprehension of the nine suspects started with the abduction of a woman identified as Mrs. Okotie, who was kidnapped few weeks ago opposite the Royal House of Grace Church in Port Harcourt.
“The gang abducted her in the Mazda car they used as operational vehicle and fortunately for her, the car broke down along the way and the leader of the gang named Blackie, called for another vehicle, a Nissan Primera, which arrived shortly after but they did not know the police had got information about them.
“They were on their way to the Ornage Waterside when our men intercepted them. As soon as they saw us, they fled and abandoned the sick woman in the car along with one of their rifles.
“Few days after the botched kidnapping of Mrs. Okotie, SIRT operatives who were following up on a lead, arrested Gabriel, a taxi driver, around 2pm on the said day.
“When Gabriel, an Akwa-Ibom indigene living at Navy Market Borikiri, Port-Harcourt was taken in for questioning, he confessed that he had personally been involved in 15 kidnaps in the last few months in the state, then led the police to his house where five members of the gang were already planning another kidnap.
“We arrested five of his gang members and from there, we proceeded to Enugu Waterfront where we arrested Anikuroka Marshal, the gang’s armourer.
“The suspects also identified Diobele Elijah and Akodi Aselemi as their spies who go around town scouting for victims. They confessed to have three AK47 rifles, two pistols, which they use in their operations,” the spokesperson added.
According to the report, in one of the kidnaps carried out by the gang, on August 10, 2016, a pastor, Mrs. Luis Ubah and one Mr. Chika Ezenwa were abducted. The same day, the gang kidnapped a business woman, Mrs. Ubah in her store, they also grabbed another victim identified as Ezenwa who was with Ubah at the time.
he four victims were taken by the gang to the Indoki Estate Waterfront and while on their way to the waterfront, the gang encountered a police team and instantly opened fire on the policemen.
Speaking further, the spokesperson said, “Inspector David Ijosi and one Corporal Dike Ledee were injured by bullets in the attack. One was hit in the leg while another was hit in the neck and the kidnappers escaped into the Isaka creeks in Okrika.
“Soon after, the gang made contact with Ubah’s husband, Bishop Prince Ubah, from whom they demanded a N50m ransom for her freedom. During the ensuing negotiation, the ransom for the release of the bishop’s wife was reduced to N2.8m and a place was agreed on for the family to drop the ransom.
“When two brothers of the bishop, Onyeka Ani and Pastor Okezie Akara, took the money to the agreed place on August 25, 2016, 15 days after Mrs. Ubah was kidnapped, the gang members decided to release her along with Ezenwa but kidnapped the two brothers instead.
“They then demanded another N1m ransom from the bishop for his brothers. But N750, 000 was eventually paid for their release.”
Source: Daily Post
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