No fewer than eight persons suspected to be Kidnappers and demands whooping sums of money as ransom from the families of their victims have been apprehended by men of the Abia State Police Command.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Janet Agbede, who disclosed this to newsmen in Umuahia, said the suspects, two of whom have killed their victim after collecting N700, 000 as ransom and sold the victim’s Lexus vehicle for N200, 000.
CP Agbede said the gang has been on the wanted list of the police and other security agencies in the state in recent times for carrying out armed robberies and kidnapping activities in the state.
She highlighed the names of the suspects to include Samuel Udochukwu, male, 26, Emeka Okedum, male, a native of Osah Ukwu Obingwa local government area, the state, while, Udo Onwukwe, male, 48 years from Urnuonu Obingwa local government area of the state, until their arrest was the armorer and camp provider of the gang.
Others are: Okechukwu Obioma, male, 31 years, from Umual Ntigha Obingwa local government area, was the guard for victims; Saviour Akpan, male, 27 years from lkoro Esenan in Orukanam local government area of Akwa Ibom State, was the gang driver.
Other members are Abia Daniel, male, 41 years from Item in Bende local government area of Abia State, and Kelechi Nnachi, male, 24 years from Edda in Afikpo South local government area of Ebonyi State.
Exhibits recovered from the gang include one AK-47 rifle with breach No. TC 6664 with 25 rounds of live ammunition, one pump action gun with ten live cartridges, one locally made double barrel cut to size gun with ten live cartridges, one Volkswagen Jetta car and one victim’s phone, one locally made double barrel pistol with four live cartridges, the deceased victim’s Techno Spark phone.
According to the Abia police boss, relevant information available to the investigators led to their arrests.
The Abia CP warned young people who see crime as their only means of livelihood to desist or have the security agencies to contend with.
