THE Anambra State police command last week, recorded one of its greatest harvests of suspected kidnappers and armed robbers in recent time, following the arrest of 13 persons in one day. At the headquarters of the State Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, located at Awkuzu in Oyi local government area of the state, the suspects, realizing that the game was up, looked sober and one after the other, began to make open confessions, saying they were driven into crime because of the love of money.
Those arrested were: Chinedu Eze from Ideato in Imo State, Omaliko Ugochukwu from Abatete in Idemili North local government area of Anambra State and Okwuchukwu Odo from Alor in Idemili South local government area, who amidst sobs, claimed they were just new into the business of kidnapping.
Business of kidnapping
Others apprehended included; Ifeanyi Okoye, Ikechukwu Chiajunwa and Uchechukwu Akujinwa all from Obosi in Idemili North local government area, as well as Chijioke Udo from Oraukwu and Onyeka Ajato from Awka. The rest were Ikechukwu Nwali from Ezza in Ebonyi State, Ikenna Ezike from Otolo Nnewi, Uchenna Chukwuemeka from Umueze Anam and Obed Ikenna also from Ebonyi State.
*The robbery and kidnap suspects
The kidnap suspects said they were responsible for the abduction of an 83-year-old man from Oraukwu, a deal that fetched them N1million. They were also the group that was sending text messages to Chief Rommie Ezeonwuka, proprietor of Rojenny Games Village, Oba in which they were threatening him with kidnap and the robbery of another prominent man in the state, Chief Jimmy Okonkwo, on his way back from a meeting at Rojenny Games Village.
Okwuchukwu Odo also admitted that his four-man gang kidnapped the Head of Service of Orumba South local government area for which they received N2 million from relations of the chairman after days of negotiations. Regretting their action, the suspects vowed never to get involved in criminal activities if granted pardon.
Omaliko from Awka said that he joined the gang because of money when he finished his secondary school education at Okpaku Secondary School, Abagana in Njikoka local government area of the state. In fact, those who know him said they had always suspected the young man as he was often seen spending money recklessly when he had no tangible business.
The 37-year-old Onyema Odo, who specialized in selling pistols and cut-to-size barrel guns to the kidnappers, said it was his name sake, Odo that lured him into the business.
He said: “I get the guns from Benin Republic and sell to the kidnapers at the cost of N50,000 each and it was Odoh who deceived me into doing it.”
According to him, the business of supplying guns to criminals was much more lucrative than buying and selling spare parts in Benin Republic, adding that it was for that reason that he did not hesitate to come down to become a member of the gang fully. Among the guns he was supplying to members of the gang included AK47, double barrel guns and locally made pistols, as well as ammunitions.
Anambra State police command said the haul was just the beginning of the fight against crime in the state, especially armed robbery and kidnapping. The Police spokesman in the state, Raphael Uzoigwe said the command was still combing the state and beyond to get other suspects still on the run, including those he gave their names as Chigoziri Onunkwo and Ebuka.
As part of the strategy for the renewed battle against crime in the state, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Bala Nasarawa, last week addressed a meeting of all police officers in the state and charged them to be alive to the new spirit of fighting crime. According to him, the police have a serious job to do and everybody must do it with the zeal it deserved.
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