24th January, 2014
The police in Delta State, southsouth Nigeria, have shot and killed three suspected kidnappers, including Eze Ogugua, a 21-year-old student of Business Administration in Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku.
Other suspected kidnappers killed by the police in a shoot-out were 24-year-old interior decorator, Lucky Onochie and 24-year-old Onyema Biggy, said to be the leader of the gang that has been terrorising Ogwashi-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of the state.
According to investigation by the police, Onyema allegedly organised his partners in crime on a vengeance mission against his octogenarian relative, Young Norbert Okafor whom they kidnapped on 16 January , 2014 while he was going for morning mass.
The 81-year-old victim was allegedly seized at his compound by five gunmen who bundled him into his dark ash colour Mercedes Benz car with registration number BF 499 KTU.
The kidnappers had demanded for N16 million ransom from the distraught family members, which they later reduced to N850,000 during negotiation.
The police, acting on information, engaged the unsuspected kidnappers in a fierce gun duel at the point of collecting the ransom along Ogwashi-Uku/Issele-Azagba Road.
The suspects who were fatally wounded in the gun battle, were said to have made confessional statements about their roles in the kidnap of the octogenarian before they were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba where they were later confirmed dead.
Meanwhile, irate youths in Ogwashi-Uku went on the rampage at the residence of the deceased suspects and razed their properties.
Delta Police Command Acting Public Relations Officer, DSP Charles Muka, who confirmed the incident, urged youths not to take the laws into their hands, warning that those caught would be dealt with according to the law.
—Jethro Ibileke/Asaba