Gunmen abduct middle-aged man, manhandle security operative in Ogidi

 Detectives attached to Ogidi Police Station in Anambra state are now working round the clock to unravel the circumstances surrounding the alleged abduction of a middle-aged man, Ebele Obianagha (a.k.a Ibi Rock) at Ikenga-Ogidi community in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra state on Friday night by some gunmen who invaded the residential home of Rev. Dr. Emma Obianagha, a one-time Presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The police are also looking for the identities of the gunmen and their where about with the abducted victim.

The gunmen, numbering over 20, some of whom were masked, according to the source, had stormed Obianagha's  residence at about 7.30 p.m., gained entrance through a half-open gate, pounced on the vigilante operative guarding the residence, Obalim Obidike who was eating, commandeered him to lye face down and demanded to see  his boss and landlord of the house.

It was gathered that as the operative, Obidike told them that his boss was not at home, the gunmen battered him, giving him internal injuries, dipped their hands into his pocket and collected about N12,000, including N10,000 just given him by his boss that evening and headed towards the staircase where they saw Ibi Rock, abducted and whisked him away.

It was further gathered that the gunmen also manhandled  some tenants of the residence who were returning home, including the son of a Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS and his friends who had visited him, before ransacking the whole compound in search of Obianagha himself.

As at the time of filing this report, yesterday, Obianagha told newsmen at the police station that the abducted Ibi Rock who is his late elder brother's son was yet to be seen, adding that while the operation lasted, the gunmen who came with about four Hilux vans, had blocked Chinua Achebe road in front of his gate, while he hid himself at upstairs viewing them, even as Obidike cleverly lied to them that he was not around.

Obianagha stated that the incident might not be unconnected with the proposed election of executive members of Ikenga Ogidi community scheduled for December 28, this year, in which he had just declared his interest to contest, having been approached by some youths, women and elders of Ikenga Ogidi come for their rescue, following the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent executive of community.

He claimed to have observed that the gunmen were actually after him and his supporters, which was why they abducted Ibi Rock and others who are his supporters in the proposed election.

The Divisional Police Officer, DPO  at Ogidi, Hassan Musa, confirmed to newsmen in his office that a complaint had just been lodged to the station in connection with the incident, adding that he had detailed some detectives to investigate the matter and report back to him.      

pix shows the battered Obidike at the police station