The Police in Enugu State have arrested two suspects who are said to be involved in the daily abduction of travelers along Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Nsukka Road.
They were paraded at the State Police Command headquarters alongside 13 other suspects arrested for various crimes.
DAILY POST reports that there has been outcry over endless kidnapping of commuters plying the ever busy Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Nsukka Road.
The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, of the command, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, who addressed journalists, Tuesday, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ammani said a female victim (names withheld), escaped from the kidnappers.
He gave the names of the suspects as Sani Usman, aged 25 and Landi Usman, aged 30, both from Sokoto State.
Ndukwe said: “a total of fifteen (15) male suspects were arrested for the offenses of conspiracy, murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, unlawful possession of firearms and fraudulent acts.
“These arrests led to the rescue of seven (7) kidnapped victims and the recovery of seven (7) firearms, two (2) motor vehicles, one (1) motorcycle, one (1) dagger, cash sum of N701,000.00 and other incriminating exhibits, in the separate operations carried out by Police Operatives of the Command, with support from other security forces and law-abiding citizens.”
“Accordingly, Operatives of Anti-Cultism Squad of the Command, on 26/06/2023 at about 2 am, acting on a tip-off, carried out a raid operation in a hotel (name withheld) along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway and arrested one Ali Jubril aged 25, a native of Kogi State.
“The suspect is reasonably suspected to be a member of a kidnapping gang, while the total sum of N701,000.00, which he could not give satisfactorily account of, and one (1) dagger, were recovered from him. Further discreet investigation is ongoing at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command.
“Similarly, Police Operatives of the Command, serving in Igbo-Eze North Division, with active assistance from Forest Guard and Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 25/06/2023 at about 1pm, rescued four (4) kidnapped victims (two males and two females, names withheld), after an intense gun fight with the kidnappers in a forest at Aishi-Ette in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area.
“The kidnappers, most of whom escaped with varying degrees of gunshot wounds, abandoned the victims due to the superior firepower of the Operatives. However, one of the victims sustained a gunshot wound in his left thigh during the duel, but was moved to the hospital, is responding to treatment and in stable condition; while others and all the Operatives returned unscathed.
“The victims were reported to have been kidnapped at Umuopu village, along Ette/Ogugu Road, on 23/06/2023 at about 9.30 pm, on their way to Obollo-Afor, Enugu State from Ankpa, Kogi State, with the hoodlums said to have demanded ransom of N10,000,000.00 for each of them.
“Also, acting on a tip-off, Police Operatives of the Command serving in Adani Police Division, in a Joint Operation with Troops of the Nigerian Army Enugu, Forest Guards and the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 25/06/2023 at about 6 pm, rescued a woman and her child, alleged to have been kidnapped at Ngene-Ukwu, along Adani-Opanda Road. The Joint Team is still on the trail of the suspected kidnappers.
“In a different case, acting on credible information on alleged attempted armed robbery, Police Operatives serving in Awkunanaw Division of the Command, in synergy with the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 22/06/2023 at about 1.30pm, arrested one male suspect, Danjuma Mohammed aged 21, at New Gariki Cattle Market, and recovered one (1) locally fabricated pistol from him. Further discreet investigation to apprehend his cohorts at large and recover more exhibits is ongoing.
“In another development, following the receipt of distress information on alleged kidnapping at Api-Opi, along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road, on 19/06/2023 at about 6pm, Police Operatives serving in Umabor Division of the Command, immediately mobilized to the scene and while combing the forest, they rescued a female victim (names withheld), who had escaped from the kidnappers.
“However, while still at the scene, the Operatives sighted and arrested two (2) male suspects: Sani Usman aged 25 and Landi Usman aged 30, both from Sokoto State, who the rescued victim identified as members of the kidnapping gang. The motorcycle they rode to the scene was recovered, while the case is undergoing further discreet investigation and tactical operational actions at the Anti-Kidnapping Squad of the Command.
“Also, on 18/06/2023, Police Operatives serving in Abakaliki Road Division, acting on credible information, busted a “one chance” armed robbery, abduction, rape and fraud syndicate, and arrested the following suspects: Uche Nnanna Ede aged 21, of Ugbawka, Nkanu East LGA, Paschal Chukwu aged 25, of Nomeh in Nkanu East LGA, Moses Uchechukwu Nnaji aged 20, of Agbani in Nkanu West LGA, and Joshua Okonkwo aged 22, of Ugbawka, Nkanu East LGA.
“Their arrest is as a result of the Operatives tactical response to series of complaints, alleging that the suspects used commercial mini buses to abduct their unsuspecting victims within Enugu metropolis, particularly young females, to secluded locations, where they robbed, raped and transferred sums of money out of their bank accounts at gunpoint. One (1) Pump Action gun was recovered from them.
“Also, Police Operatives serving in Emene Police Division of the Command, on 20/06/2023 at about 7.20am, while on routine stop and search duty along Ugwuomu-Nike Road, Enugu, intercepted a motorcycle and upon search conducted on the rider and his male passenger, two (2) locally made guns and workshop tools were recovered from the passenger, one Edeh Longinus aged 47, who is physically challenged and of Ohuani-Owo in Nkanu East LGA.
“Preliminary investigation shows that he is a gun fabricator and runner, with workshop at Amanvu in Nkalagu community of Ebonyi State. Further discreet investigation is ongoing at Crack Squad Unit of the Command.
“Similarly, Police Operatives serving in Udenu Area Command of the Command, arrested one Obinna Emmanuel Nnaji aged 29, of Obollor-Afor, on 16/06/2023, for threatening violence and unlawful possession of firearm, recovering one (1) locally made Double-barreled gun from him.
“His arrest and the recovery is sequel to a report received at the Area Command, alleging that he, on 31/05/2023 at about 5.30pm, violently threatened to shoot the complainant (names withheld), who had gone to his house in April 2023, to demand for the payment of the sum of N70,000.00 she lend to him. Further discreet investigation into the case is ongoing at the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID Enugu.
“In a related development, Police Operatives serving in Nkanu East Division, working with members of the Neighbourhood Watch Group, on 21/03/2023, arrested one Chiemerie Edeh aged 22, at Ishi-Ogbo Nara in Nkanu East LGA, and recovered one (1) locally made pistol from him.
“His arrest was due to a complaint alleging that he violently threatened the complainant on the said day. The suspect and the exhibit were transferred to the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID Enugu, from where further discreet investigation led to the recovery of two (2) more locally made guns from him.
“In another development, Police Operatives serving in Trans-Ekulu Division of the Command, on 28/04/2023 at about 4.30pm, arrested one Chibuike Eze aged 27 and Paulinus Orji aged 26 at T-Junction, Abakpa-Nike Enugu, following the receipt of a report that a black-coloured Peugeot 307, alleged to have been snatched at gunpoint from its owner sometimes in April 2023, was sighted displayed for sale at the said location.
“Preliminary investigation shows that after snatching the vehicle, Chibuike Eze took it to the workshop of Paulinus Orji, an Auto-electrician, where it was put up for sale before they were arrested and the vehicle recovered.
“And following the confessional statement of Chibuike Eze, Police Detectives serving in the Anti-Robbery Section of the State CID of the Command, further recovered in Abuja, a white-coloured Lexus LX250 car, the suspects and cohorts had snatched from its owner in Awka, Anambra State in April 2023 at gunpoint.
“Also, the same Police Detectives, acting on intelligence, on 14/05/2023, arrested one Onyeanaso Ekene aged 25, of Egbona Street, Topland Enugu, following the receipt of a report that he, on 30/03/2023 at about 2pm, bought different electronic items at the total cost of N1,500,000.00, from an Electronic Shop (name withheld) at Zik’s Avenue Enugu, and left with the items after making a fake transfer payment of the said sum to the seller.
“In a similar fashion, the same Detectives, acting on intelligence, arrested one Mmesoma Linus (a.k.a “Silver Money”) aged 26, on 23/05/2023, at Independence Layout Enugu, for issuing a fake credit alert of N3,530,000.00 to an unsuspecting timber dealer (names withheld) in Nsukka Timber Market, on 28/11/2021.
“The suspect, who has been on the watch-list of the Police for the criminal act perpetrated on the victim and others, had on the said day, after pretending to buy woods from the victim, sent the fake credit sum and deceived the seller to give him its cash equivalent, which he immediately made away with.
“The suspect confessed to the crime, while a video clip intercepted in the course of the ongoing discreet investigation, shows him spraying cash, which is reasonably suspected to be proceed of his criminal activities, in a nightclub.
“The suspects will be arraigned in court and prosecuted accordingly, once investigation into the cases are concluded.”
He reiterated the commitment of the Command to continue to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as maintain maximum public security and safety in the State