Police smash 5-man kidnap gang in Enugu

Police smash 5-man kidnap gang in Enugu

National NewsJun 24, 2009

By Tony Edike

ENUGU—THE police in Enugu has arrested a five-man kidnap gang that specialized in kidnapping prominent businessmen and personalities in the South East states.

Also recovered from them by the police were two AK47 riffles and one Barreta pistol.

Members of the gang were intercepted at a police check point manned by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad of the Enugu State Police Command on the Enugu – Onitsha Highway Monday evening, the police said yesterday.

Vanguard learnt that the gang had already confessed to the kidnap of a prominent Anambra billionaire businessman and Chairman of Pokobros Group of Companies, Chief Paul Okonkwo in Awka, on June 5, this year.

They claimed they collected a ransom of N70 million from the businessman before he was set free few days later.

The gang also claimed responsibility for the killing of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Central Police Station , Awka, CSP Akpan, and a junior policeman shortly after kidnapping Pokobros and the kidnap of an Isreali woman married to an Igbo man, Mr. Ezenwa.

They also claimed they kidnapped a businessman from Ideato, Imo State last Friday shortly after his late father’s burial and was taken to Ihe town in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu State where he was held until the SARS operatives rescued him on Tuesday.

One of the arrested persons took the police to the hideout where the businessman had spent about five days while his family was being contacted to pay a ransom for his release.

The Police gave the identities of the kidnappers now in detention at SARS base in Enugu as Emeka Uzonwanne alias “Chiefo” from Uga, Anambra State said to be leader of the gang; Anayo Okorougbo from Agbor, Delta State; Ogbonnaya Sunday from Obollo-Eke, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State; Kingsley Mammah also from Obollo-Eke; and Chidi Onyechi from Amokwe, Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State

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