The Abia State Police Command has arrested two kidnap suspects and rescued two of their victims at Ugwunagbo Local Government Area of the state.
It was learnt that the police, acting on a tip-off, stormed the hideout of the hoodlums and rescued the kidnap victims, who were held hostage by one Kingsley Alozie, under a canopy in an uncompleted building.
The Commissioner of Police in Abia State, Mr. Adeleye Oyebade, who confirmed the arrest, said the suspects and others now at large belong to a notorious kidnapping gang that had kidnapped a good number of innocent citizens in the state in recent times.
He said the uncompleted building used by the hoodlums for the nefarious act had been destroyed, adding that the command had launched a manhunt for those at large, while those arrested will be prosecuted.
One of the victims who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned said he came to Aba to fix his car, but the hoodlums intercepted him and his brother along the Aba Port-Harcourt expressway and took them to an unknown destination.
He said, “I came to Aba on Thursday to put my car in order, because I was involved in an accident last week. After discussing with the panel beater who will fix the car, I decided to pass the night with my brother who resides in Aba. But as we were driving down to his house, we were intercepted by some hoodlums at gun point.
“We didn’t know they were kidnappers, but they took over our vehicles and drove us to their hideout inside the forest. At a point, they brought us out of the car and we trekked for about three hours to another location. Then at about 2am, they took us to another location after another three-hour walk.
“It was at the third location that they told us that they were kidnappers and that we should call our people to bring N2m as ransom. We were there from that Thursday till Sunday when Police rescued us. We are, indeed, grateful to the Police for that gallant operation.”
The suspects also confessed to the crime, with Alozie admitting that one of his friends identified only as Bomah, invited him to care for the kidnapped victims before the Police stormed the hideout and rescued the captives.
He added that the last operation was his third time of keeping kidnap victims for the kidnapers, and that he was paid N20,000 for each operation.
Source: Punch
