http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=181650

Police: Odimegwu’s Wife’s Kidnappers Got N100m Ransom

From Emeka Osondu in Awka, 08.27.2010

Anambra State Police Command on Thursday paraded more than 20 armed robbery and kidnap suspects, among who were suspected kidnappers of Hajia Laraba Abdulahi, mother of former President of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Sani Lulu.

Also among those paraded were Anthony Nwangwu, a 65-year-old jailbird and 20-year-old Fabian Ugochukwu Uche of Orsumoghu town, Anambra State for the kidnap of Stella, the wife of the former managing director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, Chief Festus Odimegwu.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Philemon Leha, said that while the kidnappers of Lulu’s mother got a ransom of N4 million for her release, the kidnappers of Mrs. Odimegwu were paid a ransom of N100 million, adding that the suspects confessed to the kidnaps.

While the three suspected kidnappers of Lulu’s mother said they collected N500,000 each for their part in the kidnap, the 65-year-old kidnapper of Mrs. Odimegwu said he got N5 million.

The commissioner of police, who also disclosed other exploits of the command over the past one year, said the police were still working hard to arrest the other members of the gangs of kidnappers and armed robbers.

He said over the last one year, the police arrested 140 armed robbers, and killed 42 of them. He also disclosed that 130 kidnappers were arrested, while 22 of them were killed, as the police rescued 16 kidnap victims, adding  that 96 vehicles were recovered, while a tota of N6.6 million and US$3,000 were recovered from kidnap suspects over  the same period.


Leha however, regretted that 25 policemen were killed by armed robbers and kidnappers since January this year, just as he used the opportunity to debunk claims by the Human Rights Watch that there were 350 police road blocks in Anambra State, each of which was extorting N20,000 daily from members of the public, but only had 113 road blocks set up to checkmate kidnapping and armed robbery in the state.

This thing started by the Niger Deltans to put their case forward and to pressure the government to have a look at their plight. In our very eyes, it has become a big business and no one feels safe anymore. What a shame!

While the three suspected kidnappers of Lulu’s mother said they collected N500,000 each for their part in the kidnap, the 65-year-old kidnapper of Mrs. Odimegwu said he got N5 million.

The above quote shows clearly that the kidnappers were engaged by some people who later paid them for the services rendered. Meanwhile, the police has not said anything towards getting those people.