Abducted lawyer regains freedom in Aba

An Aba based lawyer, Barrister Kenneth Nwakanma, who was kidnapped Tuesday night by unknown gunmen has regained freedom.

Abia State Commissioner of Police, Adamu Ibrahim, who confirmed the release to newsmen, said Nwakanma was abandoned at the outskirts of the commercial city after police officers launched an intensive search.

“When we got report about his kidnap, I instructed my men to go after the gang. Through an intensified search and blockade of possible escape routes, we were able to recover his jeep after the gang abandoned it. I didn’t stop at that; I also asked them to go after the gang. It was in the heat of the chase that the lawyer was released”, he said.

However, he could not confirm whether ransom was paid to the abductors by Nwakanma’s family. Daily Trust gathered that Nwakanma was abducted by the gunmen as he was about to enter his house.

Chairman, Nigeria Bar Association, Aba branch, Barr. Chinedu Ogunji, described the lawyer’s abduction as very unfortunate and called on the police and other security agencies in the state to improve on their operational strategies. In a similar development, policemen from Abayi police division foiled a kidnap attempt on an Aba resident.

The kidnap victim sustained injuries from knife cuts during a struggle with his attackers, Daily Trust gathered. The man was thereafter saved by the timely intervention of a nearby police patrol team that was alerted by residents, according to sources.