14th July, 2013
The police in the eastern Nigerian state of Ebonyi have rescued the wife of a member of the state assembly from the clutches of kidnappers, just as the Special task Force in Plateau state, also announced the rescue of eight hostages from a gang in the state.
The Police Command in Ebonyi said it rescued Winifred, the wife of Mr Ikechukwu Ogbu, a member State House of Assembly, from suspected kidnappers.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Sylvester Igbo, told newsmen in Abakaliki that the victim was kidnapped on Friday evening by a six-man gang of kidnappers.
Igbo said Winifred was rescued in a building at Emezabi, Ngbo in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state.
“She was kidnapped in her Toyota Highlander Jeep on Grace Court Hotel Road by the kidnappers operating on three motorcycles and taken to an unknown destination.
“However, our Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) swung into action immediately on receiving the information and traced the kidnapers to their hideout.
“The indigenes assisted SARS by giving them useful information about the whereabouts of the kidnapped victim,” he said.
According to Igbo, on sighting the operatives, the kidnappers engage them in a shootout but that the operatives overpowered and killed one of them, known simply as Onyeka.
“The other members fled to an unknown place while the victim was rescued unhurt and without ransom.”
The police image maker said the corpse of the deceased member of the gang had been deposited at the Federal Teaching Hospital Mortuary, Abakaliki, for autopsy.
“We are also doing our best to recover the victim’s vehicle,’’ he said.
It was also a success story in Plateau state when The Special Task Force (STF) Anti-kidnapping Squad in Jos on Saturday arrested three members of kidnapping gang and rescued eight victims.
The squad arrested the gang leader and the owner of Chiwarna Hotel in Jos North where the victims were held hostage.
Capt. Salisu Mustpaha, STF media spokesman, said in a statement that the arrest was made possible through intelligence report received by the task force.
“Following an intelligence report to our anti-kidnapping squad, a raid was carried out on the hotel located at Zinaria Layout and eight victims were rescued.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims were kidnapped at various locations and locked up in one of the hotel rooms in order to collect ransom from their relations. “
The spokesman said that the kidnappers did contact family members of the victims and requested them to pay various sums of money as ransom for their release before luck ran out of them.
He said the kingpin and the hotel owner were undergoing interrogation, adding
that investigation was on to track down the other members of the gang.
He stressed the importance of timely release of information to security agencies by the public.
The STF commander, Maj.-Gen. Henry Ayoola, urged the Muslim community to use the period of Ramadan to pray for lasting and sustainable peace in the country.
“On behalf of the officers and servicemen of the STF, I wish you a peaceful, fruitful and spirit-filled Ramadan,’’ Ayoola said in the statement.