Imo Police Kill Suspected Kidnappers, Rescue Victims

The police in Imo State said that they killed three suspected kidnappers, who attempted to abduct the elder brother of the Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho.

The Police Public Relations Office in the state, Mr Linus Nwaiwu, told journalists in Owerri that the suspects were killed at Emekuku, near Owerri, following a tip-off.

Nwaiwu, however, said that the Police Command rescued two victims, Mr Beneth Nwamuo and a three- year-old boy, Omasirichukwu Mbonu, from Umuchoko in Owerri North Local Government Area.

Nwamuo is a private school proprietor in Amumara in Ezinihite Mbaise Local Government Area.

Nwaiwu explained that the police had laid an ambush at the premises of the minister when the abductors arrived to pick their intended victim.

He further explained that three of the suspects were shot dead in a gun battle that ensued between them and the police.

The police spokesman added that one of the suspects escaped with bullet wounds into a nearby bush, where Nwamuo, the school proprietor, was later rescued.

The command paraded two other suspected kidnappers, including one who claimed to have graduated from the Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, as well as a robbery suspect.

Narrating his ordeal, Nwamuo said that he was kidnapped at his residence on Sunday morning as he was preparing to go to church.

He told journalists that one of suspects had approached him on the pretext that he wanted to register his child in his school, only to come back to him later with four other armed persons.

He said that he was forced into the boot of their car and taken to the bush, where the abductors began making plans on how to kidnap the minister’s brother.

The corpses of the abductors and the Toyota Camry car with registratin number EDO DK 625 BEN allegedly used by the abductors, were displayed at the headquarters of the Police Command.

Items recovered from the suspects were one AK 47 rifle, a locally made pistol, 35 mobile telephones, three laptop computers and several rounds of ammunition.

Meanwhile, the command has reminded Imo residents that the N1 million reward it promised anyone with information that would lead to the arrest of kidnappers or recovery of substantial arms, still subsisted.