George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
Kidnappers attired in the uniform of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) on Saturday night abducted one Adlani Bernadin Hounso, a national of the Benin Republic and staff of Songhai Nigeria Limited attached its site in Irete in Owerri West council of Imo state.
Our reporter reliably gathered that about 9 pm on Saturday, the victim who was driving out from the Suncity Hotel and heading for Port Harcourt road via the 4040 axis, was double-crossed by four armed men in an ash-coloured Lexus Jeep who were dressed in the attire of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at the House of Assembly/State secretariat junction.
It was further learnt that immediately they blocked him, the abductors disembarked from their jeep and, dragged him out, took his cell phones and forced him into their vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown place.
According to an eyewitness when the officers at the New Owerri Police Division – a few meters to away – arrived, they towed the victim’s abandoned vehicle to their station.
The spokesman for Imo State police command, SP Orlando Ikeokwu who confirmed the incident said that police have recovered the victim’s abandoned High Lander Jeep but nobody has reported the incident officially.
“It is true and we have recovered the victim’s High Lander Jeep but till now, nobody has come to make an official report.
In a related development, gunmen on Sunday shot dead Udochukwu Ahuonye, 33, a member of Redeemed Christian Church of God at Works Layout in Owerri while on his way to church.
The victim was driving to a church service when the incident happened.
He had allegedly resisted an attempt by gunmen who entered his vehicle at IMSU junction to kidnap him.
The vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a ditch but the victim made his way out of the vehicle but the gunman quickly came out of the car and shot him dead.
The police spokesperson in the state, SP Orlando Ikeokwu, who confirmed the incident said that a pistol apparently belonging to one of the gunmen was recovered in the deceased vehicle.
The police spokesperson said: “Preliminary investigation revealed that it was a case of attempted kidnap. The body of the victim had been evacuated. A pistol apparently belonging to the fleeing suspect was recovered by the police who swiftly arrived at the scene of the crime.”