Police Parades Notorious Kidnappers, Cultists from South-south, South-east
Paul Obi
The Nigerian Police yesterday paraded some notorious kidnappers and cultists terrorising some states in South-south and South-east geo-political zones.
Parading the suspected kidnappers and cultists, police spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, explained that the operations were in response of its resolve to rid the country of kidnapping and cultism.
He said: “The Inspector General of Police (IG) Ibrahim Idris, concerned with kidnappings and other violent crimes in Rivers State and other South– south states, mandated IG Monitoring Unit to unravel those responsible for the heinous and dastard acts and put an end to the menace.”
He listed those arrested to include “Michael Obi, 34, native of Boki, Cross Rivers State Kelechi Ndukwu, 30, from Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State Ifeanyi Ezechukwu, 28, Chinedu Amadi, 18.”
Exhibits found range from “locally made revolver pistol, four live ammunition, expended ammunition, locally made Pistol, live cartridges, one expended cartridge, N200,000 as ransom.
“The operatives of IG Monitoring Unit carried out raid on a kidnappers hideout at Umuike Allu area of Rivers State on March 20, 2017 about 1230hrs and arrested the above mentioned suspects Michael Obi, 34, and Kelechi Ndukwu, 30, and rescued the victim (name with held), a student of Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State.
Equally, on March 23, 2017 about 1010hrs, another raid was carried out at Umuanwa community Ikwerre LGA in Rivers State and arrested Ifeanyi Ezechukwu, 28 and Chinedu Amadi, 18, for kidnapping their land lady and her son who were promptly rescued by the police team and reunited with their family.
“The suspects were identified by the victims and will be charge to court on completion of investigation,” Moshood said.
The police also paraded John Oteh, 25, and Atochi Oteh, 41, as alleged cultists during a raid in their hideout.
During the raid, police discovered “Military Lar Rifle No. 770786, locally made double barrel gun, locally made single barrel cut-to size guns, locally made pistol, seven cartridges and one expended cartridge.”
Moshood explained that “sequel to the directive of the IG on the activities of cultists in Rivers State and its environs, the IG Monitoring Unit in Rivers State Command working on actionable intelligence with other specialised Technical Units of the force under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, swooped on the hideout of vicious kidnap for ransom and cultist gang “Iceland Confraternity” Den in Ebitanwo and Rumuakude Communities and arrested two members of the gang and recovered the exhibits listed above from them.
“They confessed to the crime and admitting to the various roles they played in the commission of various armed robberies, kidnappings and other cultist activities linked to them. They will be charged to court on completion of the investigation”