The Rivers State Police Command has smashed a kidnapping gang that terrorizes Ohigha town in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government. CP. Musa Kimo, the Rivers State Police Commissioner said this while addressing pressmen in Port Harcourt showcasing the achievements recorded by the command in crime fighting.
The Commissioner of Police Who spoke through DSP. Ahmad Muhammad, the Command’s police public relations officer said the suspects confessed to kidnapping of many innocent citizens in the area.
“Numerous raids carried out on suspected criminals’ hideout across the state with many suspects arrested, while offensive weapons and other incriminating items recovered from them. One which is the recent arrest of Henry Ajie ‘m’ age 23 years, Bright Ajie ‘m’ age 22 years, Dadison Ogadima ‘m’ 22 years and Sampson Dibia ‘m’ 30 years all of Ohigha village in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government. On interrogation, the suspects confessed being the gang that kidnapped Mrs. Igila Sunday after which they raped, strangulated and bury her corpse in a shallow grave.”
“This same gang also confessed to have sometime kidnapped Pastor Chukwu Eke of the same Ohigha town and killed him for the simple reason that the victim disturbed them with preaching to repent an shun criminal activities.”
Also paraded was a woman, Mrs. Abigail Brown, for kidnapping her two children to get ransom from her husband.
Brown and her husband’s former driver, identified simply as ThankGod, were said to have kidnapped Abigail’s two children and called the husband to pay a ransom to secure their release.
Brown initially denied the allegation against her, but later said the act was not intentional.
She said that it was frustration that made her to commit the crime, adding that she had no means of survival.
She claimed that her husband had abandoned her and the two children to suffer, adding that the kidnap was the only means of making some money from her husband.
It was gathered that the suspect
had abducted her two children, aged two and 10 respectively, and hide them in her sister’s place.
She was said to be awaiting the ransom from the husband before she was apprehended by the police.
She said, “I did it because of frustration. My husband abandoned me and my children.
“Since he left us and went away, I have been suffering with my children, and I know that he has money.
“I only did it to make him bring money for me to take care of the children we had together.”
They confessed to have demanded N6m as ransom to secure the release of the two children.
She said, “I did not demand up to that amount, but I demanded money from my husband.”
ThankGod, the former driver to the woman’s husband, who accepted taking part in the act, said his former boss’ wife contacted him.
ThankGod said, “She called me to help her. She told me to take the two children to her sister’s place. That is how I got involved.
“She used me to act as the kidnapper of the two children before we were arrested. She lured me into it.”
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police said the command during the period under review has arrested 146 suspected kidnappers, cultist and armed robbers, adding that twenty six AK 47 rifles, other fifty assorted firearms and 537 different calibers of ammunition were recovered from the suspects.
The Commissioner of Police further sought for continued support of the members of the public to enable the police secure the state. He said I will never relent to continue to appeal to members of the public for a sustained partnership with the police to stamp out criminals from the state.
