A pregnant woman, simply identified as Mrs Obi, and her four-year-old son have regained their freedom after escaping from kidnappers’ captivity at Eziama Ubulu in Oru-West Local Government Area of Imo State.
The Guardian gathered that the victims were kidnapped alongside their brother-in-law, Obi Fredrick, at their family house in Okija, Anambra State, on April 6, 2024.
Parading the suspects allegedly responsible for their ordeal, the Imo State Police Command spokesman, ASP Henry Okoye, said they were arrested following diligently gathered actionable intelligence and a swift crackdown by operatives of the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping Unit, led by CSP Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa.
He disclosed that the operatives, using technical intelligence, stormed the suspects’ hideout at Mgbidi and arrested one Obi Chidera Collins, a relative of the victims who allegedly masterminded the kidnapping.
According to Okoye, the suspect’s confessions led to the busting of another criminal hideout on May 18, 2024, at Mgbidi, where five other suspects were arrested.
Recovered from the suspects were pump-action guns, three locally fabricated shotguns, 35 rounds of live cartridges, a Lexus RX 330 Jeep, fetish items, and other incriminating items.
Okoye also stated, “The suspects are currently undergoing investigation and will be arraigned in court with the appropriate criminal charges upon completion of the investigation.”
“This operational feat among many others underscores the Command’s unflinching dedication to crime fighting. The Command urges residents of Imo State to continue to support the police and other security agencies with useful information that will assist them in effectively discharging their constitutional mandate of safeguarding the state,” he added.
