Akwa Ibom State Police Command has killed three in a deadly gang and arrested some who abducted and killed a 36-year-old China-based businessman in Akwa Ibom State.
Onyeka Oliver Ezewulu was buried in a shallow grave near a stream in Mbiaso community in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of the state after the abductors had collected N2 million ransom from his family.
Addressing newsmen at the scene, SP Odiko MacDon, the state spokesperson of the command, said the operatives of the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB) Special Tactical Squad of the Command stormed the kidnappers’ den in Mbiaso community on Monday, March 29, and killed three of the hoodlums during a gun battle.
It was gathered that while attempting to escape from the heavilly armed kidnappers who laid ambush close to his house along Idoro Road, Uyo, the businessman was shot on the leg on March 5, 2021.
The gang, it was reliably learned, thereafter bundled their bleeding victim into a white coloured Toyota Camry car and sped off.
Investigations showed that the victim who was not given any medical attention died as a result of the excessive loss of blood from the gunshot wounds.
After his death, the kidnappers demanded a huge ransom from his family and the family paid N2 million to the gang on March 10.
MacDon said acting on a tip-off, the police team led by CSP Julian Igbodu launched a thorough investigation and later got a clue to the crime.
He stated that the police had exhumed the remains of the deceased and commended the state commissioner of police, CP Amiengheme Andrew and the STS team for their efforts which led to the successful investigation.
He lamented the unfortunate waste of Onyeka’s life, assuring the public that the police will, at all times, ensure that criminals have no hiding place in the state.
The state police public relations officer solicited cooperation of members of the public in providing the police with useful information about crime and criminals.
On the whereabouts of members of the deadly gang, MacDon explained that the kidnappers had resisted arrest, and engaged the police in a firefight before they succumbed to the superior firepower of the police.
According to him, a middle aged female suspect identified as Deborah Sunday, who was arrested assisted the police in locating the hoodlums’ hideout.
The suspect told journalists that three members of her gang abducted Onyeka on March 5.
She explained that the victim was shot in his right leg when he attempted to run, adding that he was bundled into a car and taken to their hideout.
Deborah confessed that she got her share of the N2 million ransom the gang collected from the family.
She, however, claimed that the N150,000 promised her from the ransom money, was still with the “DPO,” believed to be the leader of the gang.
A brother to the deceased, Patrick, said that Onyeka was on a visit to his family in Akwa Ibom when he was attacked and kidnapped.
“Unknown to us, the hoodlums had already killed Onyeka before we paid them the N2m on March 10, 2021. That was why after the payment was made to them, we waited for days to see him regain his freedom, all to no avail. We didn’t know he actually died a day after he was kidnapped. That was four days before we paid the ransom,” he said.
However, the team was accompanied by a police pathologist and a pathologist from the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH) Uyo, who conducted on-site autopsy on the body before handing the remains to his family for burial.
