Two kidnap suspects were killed yesterday by police in Ebonyi state during a gun duel at Ezzagu, in Ishielu local government area of the state.Three of the suspects were arrested while three escaped.
According to the command’s spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah, who paraded the suspects, she said they were arrested in two different kidnap incidents.
She said in one of the cases, two businessmen and a lady from Enugu state who went to do their business in Ezzagu, Ishielu local government area of the state were kidnapped by the town union executive and were held hostage for three days. Whilst in the second incident a man in Awugu, Enugu state was kidnapped there and taken to Ikwo, Ebonyi state where they collected N1milion ransom. After collecting the money, they gave the man N5,000 to go back to Enugu.
But luck ran out on them when police got wind of the kidnap and ambushed them on their way back to Enugu. They abandoned both the man’s vehicle they kidnapped him with and the N1million and fled. Unfortunately for them, Police arrested one of them, Raphael Nworie, who is from Nkanu East Enugu.
Speaking with Nworie at the police headquarters, he confessed to the crime saying, ”We kidnapped one man in Awugu, Enugu state on 24th July and brought him to Ikwo, Ebonyi state so that he cannot know where we came from. On our way going back, we parked on the road before police started shooting at us and we all entered the bush. In the morning, when I came out to find my way, I was caught by the villagers. Three others are still on the run, I was the only one that was arrested. It is one of us that knows Ikwo and we decided to bring the man to anywhere in Ikwo.
“The man gave us N1million cash as ransom and the money is in the man’s vehicle we kidnapped him with . We abandoned the money inside the vehicle and fled when we exchanged fire with the police. I have been in this business since two weeks and this is the first time we are kidnapping somebody.
“The man had food in his boot. When we dropped him in Ikwo, we gave him N5,000 and water. The man’s name is Obasi Chigozie. We forced the man to give us his ATM pin number and he released it to us. We then went to POS and withdrew the N1million.
Also, one of the suspects that kidnapped the three persons in Ishielu, Ebonyi state, Nonso Ugboh stated, “there were some persons from Enugu who came to our community to sell some goods including indomie noodles , pampers and others and were looking for house. I rented house for them and when they entered the house, they said they are now into another business. They said that when you give them N1000, in five days time, they will give you N1,500 and I gave them N3,000 to make N5,500
“When they finished collecting all the monies from our people, they wanted to run away. My villagers held them that they should bring the money they collected from them and started beating them. After beating them, they took them inside one house and told them they should refund all the money they collected before releasing them.
“We held them hostage and demanded ransom from them to balance the people in our community they collected money from. We took them to the bush we call Sambisa and held three of them hostage. I am the PRO of Eguobodo united in our community and I am the one that was in charge of them being held hostage and I’m the one that introduced them to my community.
“They were to pay N200,000 before they would be released. We commanded the fair guy among the three persons to have sex with the lady that came with them to do their business and they had sex in our presence. I disguised as a mad man and collected the ransom for the three persons.
“When police stormed the forest we kept the three persons and started shooting. It got to a point we had to run and some of our colleagues fled with the girl to another forest. Those who fled with the girl are Kelechi Igwe, Tochukwu Otiokpo and Nnaemeka. I will help the police to trace them and rescue the girl. I promise to do this so that police can help me to come out of this problem. I have two daughters and my wife is heavily pregnant. I’m an ‘okada’ rider.
