Anambra DSS arrests a serving Enugu Councilor, nine others for Kidnapping & murder of a former Commissioner

The Department of State Security, Anambra State has arrested a serving councilor in Enugu State with nine others for kidnapping and murder of a former commissioner in the State.

Parading them before journalists at the DSS office in Awka, the State Director of Security, Mr. A.U. Okeiyi, said his Command arrested the ten suspects in Awka, Awka South local government area (LGA), Anambra State and Ugwuoba in Oji River LGA, Enugu State for series of kidnap incidents in both areas for some time now.

Okeiyi provided the names of the other suspects and their ages as Emmanuel Ifeanyi Anyanor (28), Sunday Nwafor (28), Casmir Anumba (45), Vincent Chukwuego Nweke (2), Ejiofor Nwaonwu (20), Victor Anayo Ezejiofor (21), John Onyekachukwu Ndianefo (34) , Collins Ikechukwu Ngene (23) and Ikechukwu Nwokike (33).

“The gang is also suspected to have kidnapped immediate past State Commissioner for Science and Technology, C.C. Okoli in May 2014. On 23rd June 2014, the Command recovered from Anyanor the Sim Pack of an Airtel GSM No. used for negotiating the sum of N2 million paid for his release. The suspect confessed he bought and registered the Sim card and four others for negotiating the ransom.

“The Command suspected that the recent victim they claimed to have killed and buried was that of the Commissioner but Nwafor and Anyanor severally took operatives to the forest where they reportedly buried him and could not locate the grave” Okeiyi said.

The State DSS boss alleged that the councilor, Eze (38), was the mastermind of the kidnap of one lady identified as Ezeugo in Oji River LGA in April 2014, on whom a ransom of N700, 000 was paid for release, adding that he provided his Hyundai Accent car for the operation and a hideout in Oji River where she was kept for three days.

He disclosed that the arrowheads of the gang-Anyanor and Nwafor-confessed to several kidnaps in Awka and Oji River respectively including the kidnap of one Ejiofor, from Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka LGA in June 2012, who was later shot dead by a member of the gang and buried near a quarry site at Nibo Community, Awka South LGA after the victim’s family paid N200, 000.

According to Okeiyi, they also confessed to the kidnap of an unidentified woman driving a Toyota Corolla Car at Nkwo Amenyi Awka on November 2013, on whom a ransom of N2 million was paid for her release. The victim was later identified as a businesswoman from Enugu Ukwu, Njikoka LGA Anambra State.

The Security chief further linked the suspects to the kidnap of an unidentified man driving an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla Car in December 2013, around Ikoro House, Umudioka Awka, on whom a ransom of N1.5 million was paid for his release and the kidnap of an unnamed lecturer at UNIZIK Awka in February 2014, along Ring Road Agu Awka, on whom a ransom of N2 million was paid.

Other incidents traced to the suspects were the kidnap of one Aguagbalugba at Udoka Housing Estate Awka on 2nd March 2014 on whom a ransom of N300, 000 was paid, one Emeka at Ring Road Awka on whom a ransom of N500, 000 was paid and an unidentified man who they strangled to death in captivity and buried after collecting N2 million ransoms from his relatives.