Police Kill 2 Kidnappers, Rescue Victims in Anambra

Two suspected kidnappers were Friday shot dead in a gun duel with the Anambra State Police Command at Obosi in Idemili-North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The suspects were killed by the police detectives attached to the Special Anti -Robbery Squad, while rescuing their victim, one Nnamdi Ibru.

Briefing newsmen while displaying the corpses of the suspects at the police headquarters, the Commissioner of Police, Garba Umar, said the victim, a 32-yearold building engineer, was abducted around 8pm in a filling station at Obosi.

Umar, who spoke through the Police Public Relations Officer, Princess Nkeiruka Nwode, said the suspects, numbering four, took the victim to a bush in the area where they placed a call to his cousin, demanding a ransom of N20million.

He said the police, through intelligence gathering and cooperation from members of the public, trailed the suspects as they were about to collect the ransom.

“As soon as the hoodlums got wind that they were being trailed by the police, they opened fire but were overpowered by the police, who shot two of them in the process, while the other two escaped with bullet wounds,” he said.

He said the victim was rescued alive but not without bullet wounds in the shoulder and leg.

According to him, some of the exhibits recovered from the suspects included one locally made pistol with two live cartridges, one cut to size single barrel gun, a handset belonging to the victim and one un-registered motorcycle.

While assuring the public of the commitment of the force towards securing the state, the police boss cautioned parents and guardians on the need to take care of their children and monitor their activities.

Narrating his ordeal, the victim said he spent a day without food with the kidnappers who tortured him with axe and other dangerous weapons.

“At a point they abandoned me after shooting me severally, thinking I was already dead,” he said.

He said the suspects collected a total sum of N290,000 from him as well as his ATM card which they used to withdraw some amount from his account.