By Ngozi Uwujare
On December 23, 2022, Imo State Police Command’s Anti – Kidnapping Squad, announced the arrest of a suspected kidnapper, a former soldier, Lance Corporal, Nwangwu Chiwendu a.k.a Onyearmy. The suspect was arrested in his home town at Amaohuru Nguru in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State
Commander, Superintendent of Police, Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa and his operatives arrested the suspected kidnapper.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Barde told Saturday Sun that the suspect has been declared wanted by the Imo State Police Command since four years ago.
He said the suspect, Lance Corporal Nwangwu Chiwendu a.k.a Onyearmy has been declared wanted since four years ago, saying the suspect’s modus operandi is carrying out guerilla–like operations. He said Chiwendu usually unleashes surprise terror attacks and goes into hiding. He further
He said Chiwendu usually sat on a vantage position while his members were on surveillance and on sighting the police operatives, they took to their heels while engaging the operatives in a shoot-out.
Barde said the Anti- Kidnapping operatives retaliated professionally and tactically to avoid bullet hitting innocent persons in the crowd and later arrested him alongside two of his gang members with bullet injuries. He informed that some others escaped.
“His success in the bad act was attributed to the charms he wore all over the body called Odeshi,” Barde said.
He said when the suspect’s house was searched the police recovered five pump action guns, two cut-to-size double barrel guns; four locally made pistols; 50 rounds of live cartridges; nine locally made hand grenades as well as ESN regalia and various charms and rings.
CP Barde said the suspect, Chiwendu and his gang members were involved in a series of kidnapping and murder.
“On November 4, 2021, the suspect, Chiwendu and his gang members, Okechuku Duru kidnapped one Jude Nwahiri and collected a ransom of N21million after killing four persons in the residence of the victim in Amaohuru Nguru in Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State.
“On December 25, 2021, the suspect and his gang kidnapped and murdered a native doctor in Amaohuru Nguru Uzodimma Ahaiwe. Also on December 10, 2021 the same suspect and his gang kidnapped and murdered one of the traditional rulers of Amaohuru Nguru, in Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo state, Late Eze Anthony Anyanwu after collecting millions of naira from his relatives. In February 2022, the same suspect and gang members killed a Labour Party Senatorial candidate after burning his house and SUV,” he recalled.
CP Barde added that the same gang members on November 15, 2021 kidnapped and murdered one Ugochukwu Ohewuike, the youth leader of Amaohuru Nguru Aboh Mbaise.
“Also on November 20, 2021 the gang kidnapped and murdered one Krubo,” Barde said. .
In a chat, the suspect, Chinwendu said he hails from Nwangwu in Aboh in Mbaise, LGA, Imo state.
He said: “This is the end of the road. It is finished. l have kidnapped and killed innocent victims. I was enlisted to the Nigeria Army in 2013 where I was trained as an engineer in Kaduna State. I became an expert in weapon handling and server of all heavy automatic weapons. l rose to the rank of Lance Corporal before l was dismissed from the Army and I joined the Indigenous people of Biafra, IPOB and its military affiliate, the Eastern Security Network . I later became the operational commander and chief trainer of the outlawed group.
“I trained over 1000 IPOB members in weaponry and terror attack in the camp located in Ogbotoukwu forest in Obowu Local Government Area of Imo State .I have participated and led in several killings of security personnel and attacks on INEC offices ; burning of police stations; murder of innocent people, armed robbery and kidnapping.”
Commander of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad, Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa said: “We had to search the hideout of the suspect Chiwendu and we recovered three locally made bombs; 19 rounds of live ammunition;, 52 live cartridges; 14 teargas canisters; two police handcuffs; four safety desert boot and various vehicle plate numbers. We also recovered seven police belts, numerous registered INEC voter cards withdrawn from INEC offices during the attack.”
CP Barde commended his officers and men and also expressed his appreciation to the residents of the community for their support.
He said the suspects will soon be charged to court