18th January, 2017
The Anambra Police Command has confirmed a failed attempt to kidnap a 25-year-old lady and advised residents to be mindful of strangers among them.
The command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Nkiru Nwode, an ASP, made the confirmation on Wednesday in Akwa.
Nwode urged residents to volunteer useful information to the police at all times to assist the police in curbing crimes in the state.
She said that it was the responsibility of residents to be watchful of strangers and movements in their environments to keep criminals away from the state.
Nwode said that intelligence reports showed that criminals were now adopting new methods of either offering unsolicited services or disguising as strangers and mobile artisans while stalking their unsuspecting victims.
The PPRO, while confirming the failed kidnap attempt of the lady, said that the detectives from the command had commenced manhunt for the fleeing criminals.
Two men allegedly abducted the young lady on her way to work and drove her away in gold-coloured Camry car with registration no ASB310AH.
Eyewitnesses told NAN that the lady’s cries attracted passers-by who ran after the moving car from the Holy Ghost end of the Awka Ring Road and heading toward Nibo in Awka South Local Government area.
They said the abductors later pushed the lady out of the car and sped away.
The eyewitnesses said that a Good Samaritan took the injured victim to the emergency unit of the Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital, Awka, where she had been receiving treatment.
They said that the bloody sight of the injured lady stopped them from chasing the fleeing car.
One of the eyewitnesses said: “I was in my house at Mopol House when we heard loud cries of a lady inside a moving car.
“As we came out, I saw that one of the girl’s leg outside the car being dragged along as the car was moving.
`I mounted my motorcycle and started pursuing them, but she fell off the vehicle instantly.
“I stopped because the girl sustained serious injuries as blood was gushing from her face and legs.
“We began to look for means of taking her to hospital; fortunately a Good Samaritan came and they took her to hospital.
“Shortly, a woman ran to where we were and said that a Camry car just somersaulted just a pole from us and I said it must be the criminals.
“And as we all rushed to the scene, behold it was that car, but before we arrived there the occupants of the car have escaped.
“In fact, I came with a police patrol team that was on patrol,’’ the witness said.