Kidnapping: Enugu govt threatens to demolish private homes, business premises

A team of operatives, drawn from different security agencies, have killed 27 suspected kidnappers in Enugu State, South-east Nigeria.

The suspects were killed during shootouts with the security agencies in different parts of the state, Onochie Ezeh, a police operative who led the team, said on Wednesday.

Mr Ezeh, a superintendent of police, did not mention the security agencies that participated in the operations.

This was contained in a statement issued by the media team of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State on Wednesday.

The statement claimed that some of the slain suspects were members of the AutoPilot, a faction of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) founded by a Finland-based Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa.

How the suspects were killed

Mr Ezeh, according to the statement, said among the slain suspects was a seven-member gang of kidnappers tracked down in Ogbeke-Nike where they allegedly used a large poultry farm to hide their hostages.

Ogbeke Nike is a community in the East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The operative explained that Wednesday’s killing of the suspects was part of the sustained operations in the state to flush out criminals operating from other neighbouring states.

“We were on the trail of these kidnappers for more than three months now. They had been operating within this axis where they kidnapped their victims and kept them at a large poultry farm at Ogbeke-Nike until ransoms were paid.

“So, following a tip-off from members of the public who suspected the strange movements in the area and the accounts of some of the victims of these criminals, we swung into action,” he said.

“On sighting us, these men of the underworld opened fire on my men, and we quickly retaliated and overpowered them with our superior firepower.”

‘We’ve recorded successes’

Mr Ezeh also said the security team, set up by Governor Mbah, had recorded milestones in policing the state and flushing out criminals.

“This is a gallant crack squad with the mandate to eliminate every form of threat in the state. We have recorded huge successes over the past months. You know our role is not to rush to the media to tell our story but to ensure that every citizen and resident of the state has peace.

“I can tell you that we have already neutralised over seven criminal gangs who were mostly kidnappers and unknown gunmen.

“We are going after them. We are taking the battle to their doorsteps because the governor said we should not come back home if we don’t completely rid the state of threats,” he stated.

The team leader said, in the course of their investigation, they had identified many criminal hideouts where kidnap victims and dangerous weapons are kept.

He said the hideouts were located at New Artisan Market, Akwuke Community, Akegbe-Ugwu, Four Corners, Awgu, Mgbowo, Emene, Eke and Afa and other communities in Isi-Uzo Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Ezeh stressed that over 30 suspected kidnappers were killed by the security team during separate operations at the hideouts.

Rescued victim speaks

One of the rescued victims, Kate Pamela, said she was traumatised by her “ugly” experiences at the hands of the kidnappers.

“Each time I pass through that poultry, I feel I have been denied justice by still allowing it to operate. They kidnapped us and kept us there for five days.

“They even killed two of the victims because their families could only afford N10 million each against the N50 million demanded,” Pamela recalled.

The rescued victim said she was able to identify three of the slain kidnappers.

She suggested that the government should develop the area.

“Government must ensure justice by turning that place to a landfill,” she said.