The Inspector-General of Police Tactical Team has arrested a youth leader and four of his gang members for alleged kidnapping and murder in Akwa Ibom State.
Police spokesperson, Odiko MacDon, who paraded the suspects at the command headquarters, Ikot Akpan Abia in Uyo Local Government Area, said that they were arrested by IGP team.
See also
- Nigerian Senate mourns Akunyili, directs IGP to arrest killers
- President Buhari Appoints Usman Baba As Acting IGP
- IGP Adamu Sets Up SWAT To Replace Disbanded SARS
The PPRO said Eddy Onuka, the youth leader of the Rice Miller Association in Oron, masterminded two kidnap incidents involving one Emmanuel, whom they shot while trying to resist them and another Aniekan, whom they collected more than N20 million ransom from.
The statement partly read, “This is a clear case of kidnapping and it is a very unfortunate one. They went to abduct one Mr Emmanuel who sells engine parts and when they got there, the man resisted the kidnap and they shot him, they and some other members of the gang at large but Eddy Onuka here was their leader. By the grace of God, the Special Tactical Team of IGP moved in and effected the arrest. This was the first incident.
“The second incident, the same Eddy led members of the same kidnapping syndicate and they succeeded this time around in abducting one Aniekan and collected over N20 million from him as ransom.
“He (Eddy) got N1.2 million which he used in buying another car. His vehicle was used in committing the crime. They confessed to the fact that they used AK 47 in that particular operation.”
The police spokesman said all the suspects played different roles in the kidnapping of their victims.
“One of them his account was used in collecting the ransom to the tune of N1.2m while the other person formed surveillance, giving them information about the deceased; when he goes out and when he comes in and this goes to underscore the need why Akwa Ibomites at every point in time need to be conscious of security because some of these people are people who are close to them.
”Another suspect here collected the phone number of the wife of the deceased and called her demanding for a ransom again and threatening her and after asked her of a whopping N3.2m else he was going to deal with her. That made the woman to be apprehensive and ran to the police and the police went and did what they did,” he added.
Macdon, who reiterated the commitment of the command towards ensuring the safety of lives and property of the residents, called on the good people of the state to always volunteer information that could help in combating crime and criminality in the state.
“I want to assure the good people of Akwa Ibom State that the command has no place for kidnapping and abduction and robbery, those perpetrating these acts should desist because they will always meet their Waterloo,” Macdon warned.
