•‘How N5,000 recharge cards saved us •‘We thought we were going to die’
By Our Correspondents, 07.19.2010

Kidnap Saga

Following the ongoing crackdown on those behind kidnappings in Abia, particularly the recent kidnap of four journalists in the area, the state government has come down hard on traditional rulers alleged to be involved in abductions and other criminal activities.


Yesterday, the government arrested the traditional ruler of Amauba-Ime Oboro Autonomous Community in Ikwuano Local Government Area of the state, Eze Vincent Okezie Uche, who is said to have already been charged to court “for sponsoring kidnapping and armed robbery.”
A special announcement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Theodore Orji, Mr. Kingsley Emereuwa, said the royal father was also dethroned.


The government also suspended three traditional rulers namely Eze Okechukwu Atulobi of Osusu Abala Autonomous Community, Eze Nwabiaraije Eneogwe of Abayi Autonomous Community and Eze S. Onwukwe of Abala Ibeme Autonomous Comm-unity, all in Obingwa Local government of the state.
The four journalists and their driver kidnapped by gunmen in the state regained their freedom early yesterday after one week in captivity.


The journalists, abducted on their way from the National Executive Council (INEC) meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at Obi Ngwa in Abia State, are Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Wahab Oba, Secretary of Zone G Adolphus Okoronkwo, Acting Secretary of Lagos NUJ Sylva Okereke, Lagos-based journalist Sola Oyeyipo and their driver Azeez Abdulrauf.


Oba relived their experience in the hand of the abductors, saying they saw death coming.
Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has commended the police on the release of the journalists but called for the arrest of all the kidnappers “by all means possible.”


The Abia State government said the decision to suspend the three royal fathers followed security reports of their involvement in sponsoring kidnapping and armed robbery in the state, for which they are currently under investigation.
The government assured the entire citizenry that it “will not stop at anything to eradicate the shameful menace of kidnapping and armed robbery in the state as any person/s suspected to be behind this ugly vocation, no matter how highly placed will be summarily dealt with.”


Reliving their experience after they regained freedom, Oba said it was worse than being in hell. Speaking with newsmen shortly after they arrived Government House, Umuahia, in company with armed mobile policemen and officers from Interpol, Oba noted that the period of their captivity exposed them to the other side of life.


He said before releasing them, their captors had threatened to unleash mayhem in the entire five South-eastern states, especially Abia, in the next one month if urgent steps were not taken by the government to pacify them.
Oba also disclosed that the kidnappers threatened to make the entire zone ungovernable, while vowing to scuttle the 2011 general elections in the state.


“They made it clear that they were not going to allow any election to be conducted in the state because the government had failed woefully to make appreciable impact in the living condition of the people.
“They also told us that the Abia State government had collected a whooping sum of money meant to be disbursed to the youths in the spirit of the amnesty programme of the Federal Government but that nothing was given to them.


“The experience we had in that jungle is better imagined. These boys were wielding all manner of sophisticated arms and ammunition which I don’t think our police force really possesses. We saw our death steering us in our face but God really saved us from their hands.


“At a point, I even had to write my will albeit verbally because we thought we were not going to see the light of the day. I can’t wish even my worst enemy to pass through such a horrendous experience,” Oba said.
The full story of how the journalists were released has, however, emerged.


“Inspector-General of Police Sir, this is breaking news for you. I have with me the four kidnapped journalists and their driver who were handed over to us this morning.”With these words the Abia State Commissioner of Police Jonathan Johnson officially announced the release of the four journalists and their driver


The kidnapped men breathed their air of freedom at about 1.30 am when their abductors released them at a market place at Ukpakiri in Obingwa Local Government the same area where they were taken hostage on Sunday July 11, 2010.
By 8.45am when the released journalists were brought to the state command headquarters in Umuahia by a team of policemen, they looked unkempt and were barefooted, a sign of the ordeal they had passed through in the last seven days.


But they were full of joy and happiness for coming out of the bush alive.Oba said they were dropped at a bush in the area (Ukpakiri) but they waited till daybreak before they crawled out around 6.00am and a community leader took them to the police.


He said that all through the period they waited for daybreak, they laid still before they attracted some people around the area.Though the Lagos NUJ chairman said that they were not maltreated by their abductors, they were completely blindfolded and kept under trees and left at the mercy of the elements, with their abductors who were also drenched by rain or scorched by sun, as the case may be.


He said the kidnappers never allowed them stay at a particular place for long as they kept moving them every two hours due to the pressure from police.


The kidnappers had robbed them of their possessions and shared the booty among themselves
“They (kidnappers) collected everything we had, both wrist watches, money and shared everything. I saw my shoes; I saw my laptop computer being shared. Somebody even put on my wrist watch there in the bush,” Oba said.


The kidnappers had initially demanded N250 million ransom but Oba said the kidnappers later claimed they were not really interested in the ransom money because they were driven into criminality to protest government neglect.
Oba insisted that no ransom was paid to the hoodlums, adding that their only financial reward was N3 million they collected from them


The journalists therefore called on the federal government to adequately equip the police, to make them ready to face such people considering the kind of sophisticated weapons the hoodlums carried.
In his remarks the Abia State chairman of NUJ, Hyacinth Okoli, commended the police and the state government for their effort in ensuring the release of the journalists.


But he disagreed that the kidnappers were in the crime because they were angry with the government, saying that the kidnappers were evil in nature and had refused to key into the amnesty programme announced by government.
According to a statement by Presidential Spokesman Ima Niboro, President Jonathan said the release had brought to a close a sordid criminal incident, which he insisted must be completely stamped out of the polity.
Jonathan specifically praised the police and Nigerians for turning “sufficient heat” on the kidnappers, which made them to abandon their victims.


He directed the Inspector-General of Police Ogbonna Onovo to ensure the arrest by all means possible of the kidnappers.
The President felicitated with the four journalists, their families and NUJ.
According to him, “Even as we celebrate freedom today, let us insist that this spate of criminality must stop. In every way possible, we must say no to these vices and assist the authorities to expose perpetrators and bring an end to these vices as quickly as possible."


Onovo has also declared war on kidnappers in the South-east, vowing to make the zone difficult for any manner of criminality.
Speaking shortly after receiving the rescued journalists from the Abia State Police Command, Onovo said the police would engage the men of the underworld in a serious battle with the aim of riding the zone of kidnappers and armed banditry.
“The operation has just started with the rescue of these innocent journalists. We can no longer tolerate this in the South-east. Indeed the people are going to be denied their comfort in the process of embarking on this operation. But I want to plead with them to bear with us,” he stated.


The journalists left for Lagos yesterday through Port Harcourt Airport in Omagwa few hours after they were freed.
They left on a chartered flight marked ZS-SME from Top Brass Aviation provided by the Rivers State government, which said it was their own contribution to making the journalists return to their families safely.
Speaking on behalf of the governor, the Acting Chief Press Secretary Blessing Wikina said the kidnap was a cowardly act, which should not deter the journalists from their work.


He further asked security agencies to try and debrief those who have been kidnapped and freed so that a psychological profile of the kidnappers could be ascertained.


Oba who spoke on behalf of the journalists expressed gratitude to President Jonathan, the police, Abia State government, journalists and all the people that made it possible for them to regain their freedom and assured them that they would continue to ensure that they serve the people well.


Some Abia State officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said that no ransom was paid aside from some "small, small money they extorted from people promising to release them".
A source said N5,000 recharge cards, which the kidnappers sought for and got also helped to facilitate their release.
At the airport were police top shots including Onovo and Abia State governor who left on an Arik flight to Abuja.

This is just a beating of the air

Its a start. But if the authorities knew all along of their involvement why wait till there is public outrage before taking any decisive actions?

I don't get it,the journalists were dropped in a bush why is every body thanking Onovo and his boys like they had a hand in the release? Now they are just going to round up people that may be in the wrong place in the wrong time and start parading them as "suspects" to the kidnap. At least that would be the icing on their cake of efficiency. This is like the bakassi boys saga reloaded!

pathetic!!!

That was what Orji Kalu left behind by selecting criminals and made them Traditional leaders. causing problem here and there.

olly pass:

I don't get it,the journalists were dropped in a bush why is every body thanking Onovo and his boys like they had a hand in the release? Now they are just going to round up people that may be in the wrong place in the wrong time and start parading them as "suspects" to the kidnap. At least that would be the icing on their cake of efficiency. This is like the bakassi boys saga reloaded!

I have similar view

I dont understand. Were they freed or were they released

FROM THE PUNCH:

Jonathan also commended the Nigerian Police Force and Nigerians in general for turning heat on the kidnappers, thereby causing them to abandon their victims.

Why are these people trying to make us think it was the police's efforts that led to the release of the journalist? Someone explain.

toluxa1:


Why are these people trying to make us think it was the police's efforts that led to the release of the journalist? Someone explain.

I wonder o, I tried reading the whole thing as long as it is.

Released after ransome was paid.

Thank GOD they are free whether the police or bandits freed them is secondary. . .

toluxa1:

FROM THE PUNCH:

Why are these people trying to make us think it was the police's efforts that led to the release of the journalist? Someone explain.

You don't need a degree in criminology to know that the unprecedented police presence in the area must have unsettled the kidnappers.

am not a police apologist,just stating the obvious

Why are these people trying to make us think it was the police's efforts that led to the release of the journalist? Someone explain.

no, he wants to thank the police for assisting in delivering the ransom money to the desired location and also to tank them for looking cluelessly while the nappers were right under their noses

.

MrPrsdent:

You don't need a degree in criminology to know that the unprecedented police presence in the area must have unsettled the kidnappers.

am not a police apologist,just stating the obvious

But you need a degree in criminology to know that unsettled kidnappers could easily have disposed their corpses in the bush instead of setting them free? Or the police ensured that too? pls give me a break!

olly pass:

But you need a degree in criminology to know that unsettled kidnappers could easily have disposed their corpses in the bush instead of setting them free? Or the police ensured that too? pls give me a break!

The end is nigh for the kidnappers. They shall never know no peace. They shall never enjoy thier loot. May they and their helpers burn in hell.

[size=20pt]AMEN[/size].

What were the journalists doing with N3M they claimed the abductors took off them? On the average,they'd each have a million naira in loose change it seems,i had no idea pressmen were that well remunerated.

darqly:

What were the journalists doing with N3M they claimed the abductors took off them? On the average,they'd each have a million naira in loose change it seems,i had no idea pressmen were that well remunerated.

I thought about that too. Even at that Abia State is tending towards anarchy in no distant future.

olly pass:

But you need a degree in criminology to know that unsettled kidnappers could easily have disposed their corpses in the bush instead of setting them free? Or the police ensured that too? pls give me a break!

If you were a kidnapper,which would you choose if caught??

1. a charge of multiple first degree murders + kidnapping+unlawful arrest

OR

2. a charge of kidnapping;;;with the possibility of a judge taking into account how well you treated your victims during their forced incarceration in the jungle

^^^ i don't get your argument

darqly:

What were the journalists doing with N3M they claimed the abductors took off them? On the average,they'd each have a million naira in loose change it seems,i had no idea pressmen were that well remunerated.

U peeps don't take time to go through publication before replying, go through it once more.

darqly:

What were the journalists doing with N3M they claimed the abductors took off them? On the average,they'd each have a million naira in loose change it seems,i had no idea pressmen were that well remunerated.

my thoughts too

3million naira was paid as ransom.@topic.governor orji might be heading towards his waterloo by terming his opponents as aiding kidnapping.i'm writing in reference to the ikwuano traditional ruler in whose domain 0 kidnapping has been recorded.

@ hollypass and mr president, as am seeing this in my own perspective , i believe they were actually released not freed ,cos Mr Wahab was saying that they were been moved every two two hours due to one informant among the police that was giving the kidnappers a kind of information , so the two parties must have agreed on sumtin and ghana must go must have exchange hands.
more so he(wahab) said the collected 3 million naira from the if you think very well you will know they musnt have carried such huge amount with them while traveling but they must have agreed that while they were btw life and death.
hence they were dumped along the bush. Nigerians are wise we re not fools so sumbody shuoldnt be praising the useless police, infact mr wahab said and i quote " , with the kind of sophisticated weapons that are with those boys i wonder if the police will be able to survive them on attack, " so NO THANKS TO ONOVO AND HIS USELESS CREW,

what of those that are not journalist and have nobody to take there case to the world,

about three or more traditional rulers have lost their lives as a result of opposing the kidnappers in their domain.these include the eze of abala who was killed with his wife,eze nwaehiulo of isialangwa and eze chidi wigwe of osisioma.the government should first of all secure the lives of the ezes before accusing them.even this last kidnap saga,about four people were killed by the kidnappers before collecting 3million to release the journalists.why are they not telling nigerians the truth.

i dont know why we praise people who dont do shit in dis country. Talking like d police actually raided d hideout and rescued the victims.

Well it is a good development but the police are not to be praise for anything because I dont really know what they have done. And why has the government of the state waited for this long to sack and suspended the Eze's that are their sponsorer? It is so pathetic indeed and the government should sack more and not only the traditional leadr alone all party that are involve in this shameful should be deal with accordingly with no mercy.

It's so disgraceful to the highest level I hope this will be lesson for those who are hidding behind scene. And beside how could the jornalist be carrying a money worth 3m with them just like that, what are they doing with such cash even that alone is dangerous because if it were to be aem robber that attack them the case will have be different now this is also a lesson for them as well.

I wonder why they are thanking the Police and the Government. How did they contribute to the release of the kidnapped journalist? Or, are they trying to decieve us by saying "no ransom was paid in their release".

1988:

i dont know why we praise people who dont do poo in dis country. Talking like d police actually raided d hideout and rescued the victims.

I wonder oh!

The police had no hand in the release of the victims. I don't think they deserve the praise they have been getting. That is not to say I don't appreciate our policemen. Considering how terrible their arms are and how under-equipped they are, we can't really expect much from them. Besides, they are just reflecting the general Nigerian society.

Abagworo:

about three or more traditional rulers have lost their lives as a result of opposing the kidnappers in their domain.these include the eze of abala who was killed with his wife,eze nwaehiulo of isialangwa and eze chidi wigwe of osisioma.the government should first of all secure the lives of the ezes before accusing them.even this last kidnap saga,about four people were killed by the kidnappers before collecting 3million to release the journalists.why are they not telling nigerians the truth.

That is serious o, what would have happened if the did not have the 3 million when they were abducted on their way from the National Executive Council (INEC) meeting in Uyo?