A Lagos-based legal practitioner, Mr. Nnamdi Oragwu, whose father was kidnapped by unknown persons on June 2, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, and Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi.



Inspector General of Police, Hafiz Ringim
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The 82-year-old, Chief Lawrence Oragwu, who is the traditional ruler of Adazi Nnukwu, Anambra State, was kidnapped at Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area, Anambra State.

The lawyer in his petition, is asking the two public office holders to intervene in his quest to secure his father's freedom.

In separate petitions to Ringim and Obi, Oragwu said neither the kidnappers nor his father had been found since he was abducted.

Chief Oragwu was said to have been kidnapped while leaving Madonna Catholic Church, Agulu, where he had attended a church service.

A jeep reportedly drove in front of the victim's vehicle to block his way and four heavily armed men who alighted from the jeep pushed him into their own vehicle and drove off.

Some members of the gang were said to have followed in Chief Oragwu's vehicle after his driver was forced out.

The driver lodged a complaint at a police station in Agulu, at Neni Police Station, Neni, and at the State Police Headquarters in Awka.

Oragwu said it was rather disheartening that close to a month after the kidnap, there had been no reported progress with investigations into the incident.

"No information, whatsoever, has been received as to the whereabouts of my father and neither has there been any trace of his car," he said.

The lawyer said in the petitions that he got information about another individual who was abducted by the same gang on the same day but escaped after disarming the gang and running away with one of the kidnappers' guns, an AK47 riffle.

He alleged that the riffle was discovered to have the Nigerian Army inscription on it.

"Despite the available clues as to this heinous crime, there has been no serious investigation conducted by the police on this incident.

"If for nothing else, the fact that the recovered gun is supposedly an army gun gives a very good lead to follow, yet no serious pursuit of this lead has been conducted by the police," Oragwu said.

Oragwu also said to Obi, "The government cannot remain silent and passive at this point when we require your intervention to ensure the apprehension of the culprits and secure my father's freedom.

"We cannot accept kidnapping as part of our normal life. You must rise to the challenge and rid our society of this vice.

"I urge you to use your good offices to intervene in this matter by calling on the relevant security units to work assiduously towards the apprehension of the culprits and all their accomplices.

"It thus leads us to the question that if such a thing has happened to him and the police did not find it important enough to seriously investigate and bring the culprits to book, then who is safe in our community and in our dear state?"



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