Police, robbers’ war at Abia yields 16 kidnappers, robbery suspects paraded

www.odogwublog.com reports that the war by the Abia State Police Command yielded results and 16 suspected kidnappers and robbers terrorizing residents of the state were caught and paraded.

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade, who paraded the suspects at the State Police Headquarters in Umuahia, gave quit notice to all criminal elements in the state, vowing to deal ruthlessly with them.

Among those paraded were Chibuike Nwaobilo, 24, a native of Osisioma; and his accomplice, Chikadibia Omenihu, 26, from Ugwunagbo council area of the state.

They allegedly kidnapped two siblings ( names with held) on Friday last week while they were returning from a pharmaceutical shop where they had gone to buy drugs.

The victims were later kept inside the premises in their hideout at Uratta area of Aba while a ransom of N2 million was placed on them.

But police said when they were contacted, a team of gallant cops trailed and stormed   the kidnappers' den on Sunday morning, rescuing the victims unhurt and arresting two of the suspects while others escaped.

Later in an interview, one of the victims told our correspondent that his brother , a Port Harcourt- based business man was involved in a motor accident and had returned to Aba for treatment.

According to him, both of them were driving back to his house along Uzoiyi area of Uratta Aba around 9 :00 p.m on Friday when the suspects accosted, blindfolded, and  abducted them before taking  them to their hideout.

" They asked me to call my relation and I called my pastor; they asked him to bring N2 million but he pleaded with them to collect N500,000. They rejected it and threatened to kill us but on Sunday morning policemen stormed the premises and rescued us".

One of the suspects, Nwaobilo, who said he was a mechanic apprentice at Ugwunagbo, confessed to the crime but added that he was only contacted by his friend (the prime suspect now at large) to keep watch over the victims.

He pleaded for forgiveness , saying it was only the third time he was involved in kidnapping for ransom.

But his accomplice, Omenihu denied any involvement in the crime, saying he was only arrested because the other suspect on the run was his soccer team mate in 2013.

Paraded also was one Idorenyin Okon from Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for allegedly buying a stollen Toyota Highlander jeep marked ABC 384 SS which police said was snatched from the owner at gun point at Gwarinpa Abuja.

He was arrested at a security checkpoint at Umudike axis of the Umuahia - Ikot Ekpene highway by eagle- eyed cops following a signal from Abuja while he was driving back to Uyo.

The suspect who said he was a farmer explained that he bought the car at N1.5 million at a hotel in Abuja and never knew it was stollen.

He said he had wanted to buy another car in Uyo but could not due to the high cost , and the dealer promised to link him with another dealer who could sell to him at a cheaper rate.

" The dealer connected me with his friend in Abuja and i went to meet in in Abuja the next day. I was in my hotel room when he brought the car to me and i paid but on getting to Umuahia i was arrested", he said , insisting that he did not know it was a stollen vehicle.

Police also paraded suspected thieves including one Onuoha Agbai who were allegedly arrested at a criminal hideout in Obingwa with guns, cash of N200,000 and substances suspected to be Indian hemp recovered from them.

According to police, the suspects were planning to attack residents of the area before their hideout was raided following a tip- off, but one of the suspects,  Agbai denied any culpability saying he was passing through Ohanku Road around 10 : am on Wednesday when he was picked up by police and branded a criminal.

The 20-year old Apenu Item- born scarab dealer/ scavenger said he was on his way to buy some spare parts to repair his bicycle when he was arrested.

Similarly, another suspect, Sunday Agwu who said he was a mason but currently making a living through good will from road users said he was arrested by the police on his way to buy sacs for sand bags which he used to repair failed portions of the road.

In the same vein, another suspect, Chibuzor Ogwo who said he was a street hawker in Aba said he was arrested by the police around 10 am along Ohanku Road while on his way to buy food.

Meanwhile, the CP had said that the names of the gallant personnel who rescued the kidnap victims and arrested the suspects would be forwarded  to the Inspector General of Police for adequate appreciation.

He appealed to members of the public to always volunteer useful information on the activities of suspicious elements in their vicinity, vowing that his officers and men were determined to make the state safer.


Members, Old Aguata Union (OAU) Awka Chapter has pledged their support and solidarity in partnering with the University’s Administration. The members made this pledge when the group led by its Chairman Barr. J. C. A. Nwikpo paid a courtesy visit to the Vice-Chancellor to commend him for his commitment towards taking the University to greater heights and for acknowledging one of its members the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Prof. Carol Arinze-Umeobi and finding her worthy to contribute to the development of the University.

In his speech, the Chairman of the Union commended the University’s Administration for some other members of the Union that have been elevated into different positions of Administration and assured the University of their cooperation and support.
Barr. Nwikpo also expressed gratitude to the Vice-Chancellor for his good works in the University and urged him to continue in his effort and remain focus.
Welcoming the group, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Joseph E. Ahaneku, FAS expressed gratitude to members of the Union for the visit.  According to him, it is a show of love and solidarity for the University. He assured the Union that the University will continue to partner with them when necessary and prayed that the love between the University and Old Aguata Union will continue to wax stronger.