We kidnap victims from Imo State; take them to
Rivers state …
Suspected leader of
a kidnap syndicate that abducted the Managing Director, Naija Plaza Hotel, Oguta, Imo state and a
pregnant woman and killed them after
collecting ransom from their relatives,
has been arrested by Policemen attached to Ilemba Hausa division in Lagos.
The suspect,
Chika Richard Nwabiarijie, who hails from Omoku Local Government Area of
Rivers state, was arrested in a hotel around Ojo area, in the company of his
wife.
26-year-old Richard, reportedly fled Rivers state to take cover in Lagos, following
the arrest of other members of his gang by the Imo state Police command.
Click to read more after the cut...
The kidnappers numbering six and clad in Military
camouflage as gathered, stormed the hotel located in Oguta, on February 24, 2013,where they killed two mobile policemen attached to the
hotel during exchange of fire, before abducting their victim,one Emeka Asema.
Unfortunately, the lifeless body of the hotel
manager was reportedly found days later at Umunoha in Mbaitolu local government
area of Imo state.
Before he was whisked into the police van, Crime
Alert spoke with Richard, who, however dissociated himself from the abduction
of the late hotel MD, saying other members of his gang were responsible.
But he disclosed that in one of the gang’s escapades
which he partook in, a pregnant
woman was abducted and killed even after
receiving a ransom of N5 million from
her relatives.
Hear him: “ I fled from Rivers to Lagos, to
hide when I heard that members of my
gang had been arrested. I swear to God, I was never involved in the kidnap of
the hotel Managing Director. My colleagues did. They went to the hotel at about
8.30 pm and abducted him. In the process, they killed two mobile policemen on
guard and made away with their riffles. The manager was brought to our hide out
in Rivers state where he was held hostage for some days before the sum of N2.1
million was received from his relatives
as ransom.
On the day he was to be released, they blind- folded
and drove him out of the compound. But
midway into the journey to his home town, they killed him and dumped his body on the road.
Our modus Oparandi
We don’t just abduct anybody any how. We must have
gathered information on the person’s financial background before we strike. We
operated mostly in Imo state and our informant there is one Udo. Whenever he
got information on anyone, he would alert us. I would then come from Rivers
state and together with other members,
we would be monitoring our target’s movement and security around the area before going into
action.
Sometimes, we used
motorbikes or cars and at other times we use both. We would intercept
the victim with the motorbikes or car and thereafter, order him/her to come out
of the car. If we were operating on
motorbikes, we would zoom off in the victim’s car and head straight for my place in
Rivers,where the victim would be kept
until ransom was paid.”
I get N500,000 in each operation
Asked when and how he joined the gang, he replied,
“ I was introduced to the gang by Udo and Uche who are on the run. We met in a
bar in Rivers state and I was tempted because I had no job. Since I joined the
gang, I have gone on operation three times. At the end of each successful
operation, I got N500,000.
The last person we kidnapped last from Imo
state was a man who came on a visit. At
the end, my share of the ransom was N300,000.
“But before then, we had kidnapped a pregnant woman
who was killed after receiving ransom
from her relatives. They told me they usually killed them so as to prevent them
from revealing their identities to the police, since they are from the same
state.
“We manufacture our weapons ourselves in Rivers
state. I promise to take the police to the place. My job is just to join
them to kidnap our target and also to
keep watch over them.”
Asked if his wife was in the know, he shook his
head, saying he only told her he was bringing her to Lagos for a treat.
How he was arrested
Crime Alert gathered
that operatives at the Imo state Police command swung into action after the body of the hotel
manager was discovered, during which the leader of the gang whose name was given as Okorie was arrested.
During interrogation, 35-year-old Okorie who hails from Amii Igbere
in Bende local government area of Abia
State but resides at Adimma House Ibocha Egbema, according to
the Imo state Police boss, Musa
Katsina, was discovered to have sneaked
into Oguta where his girlfriend,one
Ifeoma, harboured him for three days
before the abduction of the hotelier.
Okorie’s confessional statement reportedly led to
the arrest of four other members whose identities were given as Onyemuche Chris
Ordukwu, a 26 -year-old barber from Obakata Quarters in Omoku Rivers State; Nze Damian Onyenye, 26
-year- old graduate from the Institute
of Management and Technology, IMT;
29-year-old Ifeoma Ukachukwu,
a native of Oguma Oguta and
50-year-old Ikechukwu Ossai who hails from Oguta as well.
Policemen from Imo state who reportedly alerted
policemen at Ilemba Hausa of Richard’s presence at the hotel, came to pick him and his wife, Monday, for
onward investigation and prosecution. (Via Vanguard)
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