By Ngozi Uwujare
The Anti-Kidnapping Squad of Imo State Police Command says its operatives have arrested one suspected kidnapper, 33-year-old Ugochukwu Agukoronye, a university dropout, who has allegedly been terrorising the area alongside his gang of suspected kidnappers.
Agukoronye, it was gathered, had, along with the other members of his gang, used a car belonging to his late uncle, Mr Cyril Okechukwu, to kidnap a 42-year-old man, Dr. Ifeanyi Francis Okorom. The car is a Honda Pilot with Reg. No EKY 884 BH.
The suspect reportedly kept the victim in his uncle’s house and demanded a ransom of N15 million. After Dr. Okorom had spent three days in the kidnappers’ den, the victim’s relatives managed to raise some money and paid the kidnappers one million naira. The victim was kept at the Akaakuma Area of Owerri North Local Government Area in Imo State.
Imo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Barde told Saturday Sun that the incident involved three gang members who he said had been involved in several kidnapping cases in the state.
He said the victim’s relatives came to the police and reported the incident to the Anti-Kidnapping Squad on February 15, 2022 and they said their son, Dr. Ifeanyi Francis Okorom had been kidnapped and that they wanted him to be released from the captivity of kidnappers.
The Anti-Kidnapping Commander, SUPOL Oladimeji Odeyeyiwa and his operatives reportedly stormed the hideout of the kidnappers and had a serious encounter with them which prompted the release of the victim on February 18, 2022. By then, the suspects had collected N1 million naira as ransom from the family.
SUPOL Odeyeyiwa said that it was through intelligence gathering that the operatives were able to strike. They arrested one of the suspects, Ugochukwu Agukoronye on April 2, 2022 at Awo-Mbeiri community in Mbalitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. He said the other two gang members escaped at the scene.
The victim, Dr. Ifeanyi Francis Okorom told Saturday Sun how he was forcefully taken to the kidnappers’ den.
His words: “I hail from Ekwe in Isu local government area of Imo State. I am a medical practitioner. I had a project in Orji a year back with my family. On February 15, 2022, I was on my way back from the village at Uburu-Ekwe at about 8pm. I stopped at a store at Akaakuma axis to get a few provisions on my way to the shop. Suddenly, three armed men blocked me and dragged me out of my car. I was blindfolded and they took me inside their own car. They told me that I had been abducted and collected my phone while I was taken to an unknown destination. They took me to a well furnished bungalow which was a residential house. They were all armed with pistols and pump action guns.
“The kidnappers collected my phone and started calling my family and negotiating with them. They asked for ransom and demanded N15 million. My family pleaded with them and my uncle paid N1 million. They released me after three days in their captivity. They dropped me along Ogbaku, Owerri/Onitsha Expressway. But on April 2, 2022, I learnt that one of the suspects was arrested and I was able to identify him in police custody. The suspect confessed to being part of the gang who kidnapped me. I want justice to be done in this case.”
Another victim of the gang, Christopher Orji also narrated to Saturday Sun how he was abducted by the suspected kidnappers. Hear him: “I hail from Oguta Local Government Area of Imo State. I was kidnapped by these guys in Owerri. They double crossed my car and also blindfolded me and took my phone and ATM card. They took me to a house and started calling my wife saying that I have been kidnapped and demanded N5 million. They flogged me and started asking for my ATM pin number which I gave them. They used POS to withdraw N300, 000 from my account. They insisted that I should bring more money. I had to call my wife who later sent another N150, 000 after I had spent five days in their custody.
“When I heard that the Anti-Kidnapping Squad had arrested one of the gang members, I was impressed and I was able to identify a gang member that had been arrested. It was in one of the gang member’s houses that I was kept for five days and they demanded f ransom from my family before I was released.”
Yet another victim, Mrs. Okoro Ndidi said she also experienced hell in the hands of these kidnappers. Said she: “I hail from Owerri South Local Government of Imo State. I saw hell in the hands of the kidnappers. They double crossed my own car at the Control Road, Owerri. They moved me to a furnished house where I was blindfolded. They thereafter demanded a ransom of N10 million. They did not touch me. I am grateful to God for that and the fact that they kept me in a clean house as their hostage camp. We started chatting one on one on their demands and I pleaded with them until they accepted N200,000. I cried to them and let them know I am managing my life and that they should help me leave their camp. They took me and dropped me along Ogbaku, Onitsha- Owerri Expressway. I thank God I am alive.”
The suspect, Ugochukwu Agukoronye also spoke to Saturday Sun and explained how he had been living his life as a kidnapper.
Agukoronye said: “I hail from Awo-Mbeiri community in Mbalitoli Local Government Area of Imo State. I attended Ohahia Primary School after which I proceeded to Basic Comprehensive Secondary School. I got admission to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State in 2016. I studied Environmental Technology. I was in 300 Level when I dropped out. I travelled to Malaysia and came back to Nigeria because of the COVID-19. I was involved in a kidnapping incident on February 15, 2022 with two friends called Ebuka and Strike. We kidnapped the victim and used my late uncle’s car, a Honda Pilot with Reg. no EKY 884 BH. Later, we took the victim to my uncle’s house at Umudimuekpo, Awo-Mbeiri, Mbalitoli Local Government, Imo state.’
‘Why I used my late uncle’s car and house for kidnapping is because my uncle is dead and his children are out of the country in the United States. I am in charge of the house. This is my first time of being involved in kidnapping. The victim was kept in my custody for three days. It was one of my friends, Ebuka, who collected the victim’s phone and asked for N15 million ransom from the relatives. They later paid N1 million and gave me N150,000 as my share before the victim was released. I released the victim along Ogbaku, Onitsha/Owerri Expressway. After we shared the money, everyone went his way. It was on April 2, 2022 that I was arrested in Awo-Mbeiri community in Mbalitoli Local Government area of Imo State.”
The Imo State Police boss, Barde said the police were going after the two other suspects that escaped. He said all victims had been rescued and assured that the arrested suspect would soon be charged to court.