Vigilante Group Nabs 3 Kidnap Suspects in Okonjo Iweala’s Village

Three youths alleged to have been the mastermind of the incessant kidnapping cases that had bedeviled Ogwashi-Uku, country home of former Minister of Finance, Okonjo Iweala, have been apprehended by men of Igbodo Vigilante Group in collaboration with their counterpart in Ubulu-Uku, all in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.

Available information from a top member of Ubulu-Uku Vigilante Group revealed that after the last kidnap case of a female teacher in one of the public secondary schools in Ogwashi-Uku [name withheld] and her child, the Ubulu-Uku vigilante group had spread their drag nets to other communities within and outside Aniocha South Council Area in their determination to apprehend the fleeing gang members.

“What we did was to inform our sister vigilante groups within and outside our local government area about the activities of the boys whose identity we have succeeded in unraveling. The identity of the boys was unraveled after they kidnapped the female teacher and her child. For fear of arrest, they had fled from Ubulu-Uku where they had their rendezvous. It was this that informed our collaboration with other vigilante groups to see how we can apprehend the bad boys.

“What we told the sister vigilante groups was to timely inform us if any youth from Ubulu-Uku was in anyway arrested in their various communities. Eventually our effort paid off when I was called by the leader of the vigilante in Igbodo that a youth from Ubulu-Uku has been arrested. On getting to the place, we were able to identify the boy who led us to his team”, disclosed the vigilante member who spoke on condition that he will not be named in print because he is not in position to speak to the media.

The vigilante member further disclosed that the suspects had been handed over to the police in Ogwashi-Uku who, on a tip-off, stormed Igbodo where the boys had their rendezvous.

A member of the police team, who picked the alleged kidnappers in a chart with our correspondent on condition of anonymity since they are not authorized to speak, disclosed that so far, only three of the boys are in their net and would soon be transferred to Asaba for further investigations.

Effort to confirm the incidence from the Police Public Relations Officer, Delta State, DSP Celestine Kalu, proved abortive as the call put through to her cell phone was not answered as at the time of filing this report.

It will be recalled that incidence of kidnapping in the recent times had reared its ugly head again in Ogwahsi-Uku, which findings revealed that no fewer than seven persons had been abducted within the past two months.