Matilda Omonaiye/
Another abducted old man has been rescued during a raid of kidnappers den in Abia by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) today.
Today’s rescue of 76-year-old man, Elder Benjamin Okoye, has come six days after the IRT led by ACP Abba Kyari smashed a similar gang that kidnapped an 80-year-old man, Chief Felix Ogbonna.
Just like Ogbonna’s kidnappers who claimed to have started operating last month and made over N6.75million paid in dollars, Okoye’s abductors who claimed to have formed their gang inside prison, said they also started kidnapping after leaving jail last month.
Today’s operation was handled by a combined team of IRT operatives and CPS Aba Police Personnel.
The police told NewsmakersNG that six kidnappers were captured in the raid.
According to them, officers recovered two AK47 Rifles, six magazines loaded with 180 rounds of live ammunition hidden in a special compartment constructed under the operational vehicle of the gang in Abia.
The special operation was ordered by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ibrahim Idris, following Elder Okoye’s abduction on December 15, in Aba, Abia State.
The abductors allegedly demanded a ransom of N80million.
At first, two members of the gang were captured and they led the police to the gang’s camp at Okpukwu Umuobo area of Aba, where victims were kept in a rented 3-bedroom apartment.
Elder Okoye, who was described as an hypertensive patient was kept without his drugs. He was rescued as four more kidnappers were arrested with bullet wounds as they allegedly tried to escape.
The arrested suspects were identified as 26-year-old Chinonye Anoro; Prince Sylvester, 35, described as the owner and driver of the operational bus used for eight kidnappings in Aba; Kingsley Papa, 45; the alleged gang leader – Ugbonabo Danjuma, 43, Gangleader; Moses Clever, 31, and Ogoro James, 26.
According to the police, the suspects confessed to several kidnappings within Aba and other parts of Abia.
Four out of the six suspects allegedly confessed that they formed their gang from the prison and as they were released in October, they recruited others and started Kidnapping.
The recovered rifles used for their operations were allegedly found in a special compartment they constructed under their Golf Car.
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