Nine notorious kidnappers arrested, victims rescued in Imo

The operatives of Imo State Police Command have arrested nine notorious kidnappers which include a 37 years Obinna Onuoha and Igbokwe Joseph both natives of Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Command’s spokesman, CSP Michael Abatham said that the arrest of the two suspected kidnappers followed a report of the kidnapping of one Dominic Chukwuma and Silas Nnawubia.

He said that the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit on receipt of the incident immediately swung into action that revealed credible information about the location of the criminals’ hideout in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State. 

The police operatives immediately stormed the kidnappers’ den and arrested the two suspect, gallantly rescuing the victims held in captive unhurt.

The PPRO said that in the cause of interrogation, the suspects confessed to the crime of kidnapping and revealing how they escaped from Imo Correctional Centre Jail break of 5th April, 2021.

He said: “After our escape, we got a safe hideout in Ahiazu Mbaise, formed a kidnapping syndicate with our hideouts in strategic areas in the state. And have been the ones 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. 

They include Tochi Chilak, Sunday Richard, Comfort Ogbo, Igbo Simeon, Cyril Iwuagwu, Nkechinyere Ibe, Ebo Ubochi. 

CSP Abraham said that items recovered from the hideout include; one AK-47 rifle, breech number 1142 with eighty-four rounds of live ammunition, four locally made Pistols, forty-six rounds of live cartridges, one Toyota 4Runner SUV vehicle belonging to the victim, multiple banks ATM cards stolen from their victims and the personal belongings of the victim.  

He said that the victims have since being reunited with their family members and aggressive manhunt is on to arrest the remaining members of the syndicate at large. 

According to him, the Commissioner of Police,  Imo Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, while commending the officers and men for their proactiveness and gallantry, thanked Imolites for their continuous support to the Command. 

 He enjoined them not to allow criminals and their cohorts to use their Communities as a safe haven to perpetrate heinous crimes and appealed to them to make sure they report any suspicious person or persons seen within their neighbourhoods to the nearest police station.

 He then, tasks the Hunters Association to always assist the police and other security agencies with credible and timely information on their findings in the bushes.

He advised Imolites to form vigilante groups or neighbourhoods watch association to complement the efforts of the Police.

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