People of Enugu state have taken a swipe on the police in the state for letting go of two suspected herdsmen kidnappers who were accosted at Isi-Uzo Divisional police station Ikem, with large sums of money, suspected to be ransom collected from victims who were kidnapped last Friday along Ugwogo-Neke road.
The kidnappers had on Friday evening abducted four persons, including a lawyer, two businessmen, and a Reverend sister.
Three of the victims who reportedly paid undisclosed sums of money as ransom regained freedom on Sunday night, leaving behind one of the businessmen, Mr. Anayo Ukwu, whose family could not afford the ransom.
However, two of the suspected kidnappers riding on a motorcycle were reportedly flagged down in a checkpoint in front of Ikem police station with large sums of money in a Ghana-Must-Go bag with other cash stripped on their body, on Monday.
Eyewitness at Ikem narrated that the two Fulani men rode on a bike from Ugwogo to Ikem junction where they took another motorcycle for Eha-Amufu where they stopped at the checkpoint for search.
“On the process, the policeman on duty discovered that the Fulani men had so much money in the bag and others tied on their body. The policeman was confused and went to call his boss inside the police station.
“Before he could come back, the Fulani men ran into the bush with the money, but they were pursued across Ebonyi river up to Umuaram where they were almost caught but one escaped with blood drops,” the eyewitness who pleaded for anonymity narrated.
Neighborhood watch officers who spoke with Vanguard pleaded not to be mentioned, saying that the police has been searching to arrest the motorcycle operator who carried the suspects before their flee.
In a police briefing on Tuesday, the Enugu state commissioner of Police, Ahmad Abdul-Rahaman failed to mention the kidnap case or efforts the command was making arrest the suspected Kidnapper-Herdsmen.
Abdul-Rahaman also failed to reply to Vanguard’s calls and text message inquiry on the kidnap issues and the alleged flee of the suspects.
Meanwhile, the family of one of the kidnapped victims, Mr. Ukwu, who is still in captive said that the kidnappers had called, demanding N5 million ransom for his release.
Ukwu’s wife, Ogechukwu, while crying said “On Friday my husband went for burial and on his way coming back, gunmen attacked his car and kidnapped him.
“Today is the 5th day my husband (Tuesday) was kidnapped. They (kidnappers) called on Saturday and Sunday, asking us to bring N5 million for his release which we don’t have. We are begging them that we don’t have that kind of money.
“I am begging the government of Enugu state to help us and secure the freedom of my husband.”
