21st January, 2024
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Police said notorious Abuja kidnapper Chinaza Philip Okoye who was arrested when his gang members were intercepted with their victim last week had earlier been arrested for similar offence.
Olumuyiwa Adejobi, spokesperson for Nigeria Police Force revealed this while parading 16 kidnappers recently arrested by officers of the newly formed Special Intervention Squad of the Force on Saturday.
Adejobi also gqve more information on how Chinaza Philip and members of his gang were intercepted in Kaduna while they were taking a victim they abducted in Abuja to Kano.
The Force spokesman said Chinaza Philip, whose full names he now gave as ‘Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael’ and his accomplices were arrested in November 2023 and arraigned at FCT High Court in Kwali area of FCT, but was granted bail, during which he went back to committing even more grievous crimes.
He however said Chinaza Philip was arrested early last Thursday after receipt of report that a four-man kidnap gang had abducted a man in his house in Abuja alongside his Hilux van.
He said police intelligence revealed that the gang members were taking their victim through Kano to Kaduna, hence, police operatives were put on alert.
The kidnap gang members were intercepted where they were fuelling the vehicle in a petrol station in Kaduna. While others members of the gang escaped, Chinaza Philip was arrested.
Adejobi said, “In a proactive move, following a report on the abduction of a victim from his house along with his Hilux Van with Reg. No. RBC 90 DL Gray colour by four armed men who disguised in a white Mercedez Benz 230 car, Police Operatives in an intelligence propelled investigation discovered that the victim was being taken to Kano State, but was dispossessed of his ATM cards at Kaduna while the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) was transferred from his account.
“The suspects however ran out of luck as they were intercepted by Police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna where three of them escaped, while one by the name Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael was arrested, the victim rescued unhurt, and the said Hilux Van recovered.
“It was discovered that Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael and his accomplices had earlier been arrested sometime in November 2023 and charged for similar offences, at the High Court, Kwali, Abuja, but went back to committing even worse crimes while on court
The FCT Police Command had also in a statement issued on Friday detailed how Chinaza Phillip was arrested on Thursday January 18.
According to the police, Philip was arrested by operatives of the Kaduna Police Command when he and other members of his gang were transporting one of their victims Segun Akinyemi from Abuja to Kaduna. Akinyemi was kidnapped as he was driving out of his house.
On receiving a distress call, operatives of the Abuja Police Command swooped on the kidnappers in front of Adeyemi’s house in Abuja, as they were taking him to Kaduna on Thursday.
According to a release on Friday, the FCT police command, SP Josephine Adeh, said the suspect has been handed over to the command and currently in police custody.
“The FCT Police Command wishes to confirm the arrest of one Chinaza Phillip, a notorious Abuja kidnapper by police operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command on Thursday 18th January, 2024.
“The suspect has been handed over to FCT police Command today being Friday 19th January, 2024, and currently in police custody.
“More details will be communicated soon,” the statement added.
Also, the Kaduna Police Command had earlier said it rescued Segun Akinyemi, an Abuja resident, who was kidnapped just as he was driving out of his house.
The kidnappers were taking Akinyemi from Abuja to Kano State when the police swooped on them, according to Police Public Relations Officer in Kaduna, ASP Mansir Hassan.
He said on January 18, 2024, operatives attached to Kawo Divisional Headquarters, Kaduna, received a distress call of a kidnapping incident from Abuja, noting that they were alerted that the culprits and their victim were transiting through Kaduna.
“The operatives, at about 0010 hours, blocked a grey Toyota Hilux van with registration number Abuja RBC 90 DC, carrying four passengers, the driver inclusive, suspected to be the vehicle conveying the kidnappers and their victim.”
“On sensing danger and in an effort to escape, one of the kidnappers fired at the policemen, and they responded accordingly. In the resulting gun duel, the victim, a certain Segun Akinyemi of block 10, flat 2 FCDA quarters Area 3 Garki, Abuja, was rescued, and one of the kidnappers, a 28-year-old Chinaza Philip of Life Camp Abuja, was arrested,” he said.