Christian Avenue: Strange abductions in Nnewi

Sometime in October 2012, former chairman of Nnewi Traders Association and Vice President of Anambra Markets Traders Association (AMATA), Chief Gozie Akudolu, was kidnapped and kept in captivity even after his abductors had collected N10 million ransom.

Our source said when the abductors established contact with the family two weeks after the abduction, negotiations started with N50 million until it was brought down to N10 million, which Sunday Sun learnt was paid in two installments after which the abductors switched off their phones without releasing their victim. It would be recalled that Chief Akudolu was abducted at the gate of his Nnewi residence at 9:30 p.m. after returning from Nnewi Sports Club.

“As he returned, he blared his car horn and the gate to his house was flung open, but unknown to his boy who opened the gate and Chief Akudolu, there were three armed men lying in wait, who swiftly entered the premises and told the young man who opened the gate not to raise any alarm at gun-point, while Chief Akudolu was busy inside his Siena car making phone call.

“The gunmen now moved to the car and bundled him into his car booth and zoomed off,” the source said. In a related development, three suspected kidnappers at Egbo Uruagu, Nnewi, operating with a black Toyota Camry car, were outwitted in their attempt to kidnap a lawyer. When the attempt failed, according to our source, the gunmen resorted to armed robbery within the area, which attracted a combined team of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), and Nkwo Nnewi Central Vigilance group, who challenged them and one of the suspects sustained bullet wounds.

Eyewitnesses said the three gunmen targeted their victim and was about to swoop on him at the old Nnewi-Onitsha road when they ran into a police patrol team. A gun battle ensued as soon as they saw the police, “but the suspect kidnappers were over-powered and one of them was seriously wounded while two others escaped, abandoning their Toyota Camry car.” Similarly, a 73-year-old mother of an Nnewi-based industrialist was kidnapped at Uruala, Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

The victim, Madam Ezinne Patricia Emenike, who was earlier kidnapped in 2011 and released after payment of ransom, was again kidnapped on January 10, 2013 by gunmen as she was returning from the community’s local market. Her son, Mr Chika Emenike, who is Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Kotec Group of Companies, told newsmen the kidnappers had established contact with the family, demanding N70 million ransom. He said the family was worried when the incident occurred as his mother was diabetic and hypertensive.