Kidnappers in the university
town of Nsukka in Enugu
state seem not in a hurry to
dump their filthy lucre despite
the efforts of the state Police
Command to run them out of town. Apparently calling the
bluff of law enforcement
agents and playing the lords
of the town and its environs,
the hoodlums have formed an
association. The body known as
Association of Kidnappers of
Nsukka (AKN) made its debut
in the town recently. Checks
by Sunday Sun reporter
revealed that although it operates in secrecy, the group
has started pasting notices on
building walls ordering
residents to pay huge ransoms
or get ready to be attacked. A resident, Ekene Ugwu, said
they pasted one of such
notices in the neighbourhood
around Ibagwa road and
people were panicky. He said
that some residents including lawyers in the area have
notified the police and taken
precautionary security
measures. But the Enugu State
police command has told
residents to go about their daily businesses as the police
were handling the situation. The police spokesman, Ebere
Amaraizu told Sunday Sun on
phone that the police had
picked the telephone numbers
dropped by the author of the
letters in various homes, for further investigation.
Meanwhile, five persons
suspected to be the
masterminds of kidnappings
in Nsukka zone have been
arrested. They were identified as Obinna Nnonyelum a.k.a
Biggy, Ikechukwu Jude Ezeah
alias Alhaji, Jonas Eke, Kelechi
Udagha and Ifeanyi Hyginus
Ede. The first suspect, Obinna
was allleged to have told his police interrogators that he
hails from Amawbia in Awka
South Local Government Area
of Anambra State and that his
first criminal outing was the
kidnap of a woman from Obollo Afor . Though he said he could not
remember the date of the
kidnap, the suspect allegedly
told the police that he and
those he identified as Sky B
who was their driver, Gago, Alhaji and Jonas alias Pajoe,
took part in the crime. He said
that the N1.5 million paid as
ransom was collected at
Umuokpu Awka in Anambra
state and that he made the phone calls and gave
directives until it was
collected. Obinna was also said
to have confessed that the
gang kidnapped Rev. Fr.
Chijioke Amoke, a Catholic priest in Nsukka Diocese and a
herbalist, Rowland Iyida alias
Ojenamuo on November 2,
2011. The herbalist and a police
corporal, Sunday Elisha,
attached to Ogrute police station, later died while the
kidnappers were escaping
with their victims. Police
sources told Sunday Sun that
the suspects would soon be
charged to court.

SOURCE sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/kidnappers-float-association-in-nsukka/