Kidnappers rampage Delta again!
Posted on 30th Mar 2013
*As Police rescues Ex-Army General
*Arrest and charge 13 suspects for alleged cult related activities in Ughelli
Author: By Brisibe Perez and Bini Israel
The worsening security situation in Delta State seems to have taken a dangerous turn in recent times as the peace initiative of the Emmanuel Uduaghan led-administration recently suffered another setback with the sudden upsurge of kidnappings in different parts of the State.
Last week, Idjerhe kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State was thrown into another era of confusion as mother of an American based Chartered Accountant, Mr. Henry Umudjane was adopted from her home at Oyobru - Jesse by unknown gunmen.
Narrating the incident to newsmen in Jesse, one of the children of the adopted woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Oritsegbone, said the kidnappers came to the house in the midnight of Sunday, 17th March, 2013 and dragged her aged mother of about 110 years through the window and fled with her on a motorbike and took her away to the River Ethiope
via Ahalokpe in Okpe LGA, their neighbouring village.
While the police was still searching for the abducted woman, a combined team of men of the Nigeria Police stormed the hide out of a six-man kidnap gang responsible for kidnappings in Ughelli and its environs who on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 kidnapped an ex-army General, Major General Peter Unuode, (Rtd) 67yrs, close to Ekuigbo, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to the police report, Major General Unuode was bundled at gun point, taken into a standby Sienna car, blindfolded and zoomed off through first Amaekpa Street of Ughelli metropolises.
This was followed by a demand for ransom of N50 million by his abductors for his release. While negotiating for the payment of the ransom with the family, the police on a tip off, stormed their hideout out three days later at about 8:00am and set free the abducted retired general.
In a phone chat with the Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who confirmed the operation, stated that the police killed one of the kidnappers in a gun battle at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area.
Police also arrested two of the kidnapper, according to the Commissioner, who hinted that the residence used as operational base by the gang would be set ablaze.
It was also gathered that the fourth kidnapper, who sustained bullet wounds, was still at large, but the police were hunting for him.
He said, “The General was kidnapped on Wednesday. In a fierce gun duel, one of the kidnappers was gunned down, the rescued general, described the raid of the kidnapping den, where he was chained as commando type and praised the brevity of the tactically disciplined squad, led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO”.
Narrating his ordeal to reporters, Unuode said, “I went with one S. O. Oyibo who deals on bamboo sticks, along the Ughelli / Port-Harcourt express way. On getting there, we saw one Toyota Sienna, parked close to the caravan, where the bamboos where kept.
And we saw the owner of the Sienna car defecating close to the caravan and we expressed concern why the man was defecating close to the caravan, because another who wanted to buy 200 pieces of Bamboos from Oyibo also went with us. After a while, we saw Oyibo discussing with the man and as I moved closer, they stopped the conversation and the man zoomed off in his Sienna.
After few minutes, the sienna resurfaced and boys emerged from it with pump actions and they were saying; “na you say make our oga pack shit”. They were three in the car, but only two came out and that was how I was bundled away through Amaekpa.
“After a while, I was blindfolded and whisked away with impunity. As we were going, they said I should give them N50 million, otherwise they would waste me. And I told them I do not have that kind of money and that I am a retired Army General.
“They took me to their Hideout; a living environment. People in the area were speaking Isoko; the boys guiding me were also conversing in Isoko. I was hearing the sound of vehicles and motorcycles; the place was close to a busy road. And from that Wednesday that they took me until I was rescued by the police, I refused food. I lived on water all through.
“Later, they reduced the ransom fee to N20 million, later came down to N15, N10 and N5 million and the boys felt insulted when my son they were negotiating with mentioned N450, 000. They seriously tortured me coupled with mosquito bites. The mosquitoes took advantage of me because I was properly chained to a chair and helpless.
“I was chained on my ankle; my knees were tied; my hands were tied; my mouth was tied and I was still under blindfold. I was subjected to all forms of inhuman treatment”.
One of the suspect who gave his name as Onajite Agomate, 26 years, a native of Jesse town in Ethiope East said he is a student of Success Secondary School, Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State.
While making a confessional statement, he said, “His boss, one Mr. Ramson residing in Benin, Edo State is the ring leader of the six-man kidnap squad that was responsible for some kidnapping activities in Delta State and Edo State. He said, he got to know Ramson through his elder brother in Greece, Mr. Mike Basikoro, when he was anxious to travel out of the country.”
While regretting involving in kidnapping, he said, they were six and three of them were detailed to guide the General before the police struck, adding that on sighting them, we fled into the nearby bush before I was fetched out by the security agencies and others ran away.
He said he was involved in the kidnapping and negotiation for ransom, but his duties is to guide and feed their prey. He confessed.
Last week, Ms. Siri Taiga, younger sister to the President-General of Olomu Kingdom, Olorogun Moses Taiga was abducted by unidentified gunman who broke into her apartment at Okpare-Olomu in Ughelli South LGA.
According to her, she was taken to an incomplete building at Oghara, Ethiope West LGA of the State where she was chained.
Speaking further, she said, her shouting and struggling with her abductors attracted the attention of passersby who came in and rescued her.
Meanwhile, thirteen males alleged to be members of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), were apprehended on Saturday, 23rd, March 2013 by the Joint Task Force (JTF), as performance of their inauguration of new executives/ initiation of new members was on top gear at Afiesere Secondary School, Ughelli, Delta State.
According to sources within the vicinity, the activities of the group started in the early hours of the day with gun shots and uproar that attracted the residents of the area who drew the attention of the police.
One of the victims, an undergraduate of Global Maritime Academy (GMA), Bayelsa State, who made confessional statements, said the cult members were gathered from different locations through their mobile contacts in view of the activity.
According to the police report, items recovered from them include; 31 Handsets of different brands, 12 Pistols, 2 Locally made guns, 3 Machetes, 2 Black berets supposed to be police type, 1 Laptop, I Chisel, 3 live Catridge, 1 Nail Pincher and N11, 050, alleged to be for the cult members.
The JTF had arrested twelve members of the group at the scene and later arrested a thirteenth member from the GMA who had fled the scene naked on the attack of the police while he was making frantic calls to get clothes to wear in another location.
According to reports, it was alleged that while the initiation for the new members was ongoing, those to perform the rites were stark naked as some of them later escaped following recovered clothing items by the JTF including bags and hard drugs.
Speaking on the arrest, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Gado Garaje confirmed the activities of the group as they were being held at the Ughelli Police Station.
On his part, the Area Commander, Mr. Awosola Awotinde, who spoke to newsmen said, “They are cult members who were caught by the rapid effort of the JTF and their activities have for long been a nuisance to residents of the area before the police swoop in on them.”
As at the time of filing in this report, they have since been charged to the Agbarha Magistrate Court of Ughelli North Local Government Area and have been remanded in the Warri Prison.
In the same vein, six suspected cultists operating in Okpanam near Asaba yesterday (Tuesday) reportedly ended their lives when they were said to have jumped into a well in the community on sighting security agents.
Police spokesman in the State, ASP Famous Ajieh confirmed that the suspects were ambushed by detectives who acted on a tip off on their operation.
ASP Ajieh said that their bodies were recovered few hours later adding that their bodies have since been deposited at the State owned general Hospital Mortuary Okwe.
Only recently, a fight among some boys suspected to be cultists around a popular Hotel in Obiaruku reportedly led to the death of a middle aged man.
According to the police spokesman, the death of the victim and the crisis at the community were later brought under control when Anti-riot policemen were drafted to the area.
He disclosed that the owner of the well was cooling his heels at the Police CID cell for further investigation just as he said that boys had a fight in the hotel premises where the victim was shot, and rushed to the hospital where he died.
ASP Ajieh said that attempt by the youths to burn the Police station in the area was foiled and that the area was now calm as peace has returned.
Last week, Idjerhe kingdom in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the State was thrown into another era of confusion as mother of an American based Chartered Accountant, Mr. Henry Umudjane was adopted from her home at Oyobru - Jesse by unknown gunmen.
Narrating the incident to newsmen in Jesse, one of the children of the adopted woman, Mrs. Elizabeth Oritsegbone, said the kidnappers came to the house in the midnight of Sunday, 17th March, 2013 and dragged her aged mother of about 110 years through the window and fled with her on a motorbike and took her away to the River Ethiope
via Ahalokpe in Okpe LGA, their neighbouring village.
While the police was still searching for the abducted woman, a combined team of men of the Nigeria Police stormed the hide out of a six-man kidnap gang responsible for kidnappings in Ughelli and its environs who on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 kidnapped an ex-army General, Major General Peter Unuode, (Rtd) 67yrs, close to Ekuigbo, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to the police report, Major General Unuode was bundled at gun point, taken into a standby Sienna car, blindfolded and zoomed off through first Amaekpa Street of Ughelli metropolises.
This was followed by a demand for ransom of N50 million by his abductors for his release. While negotiating for the payment of the ransom with the family, the police on a tip off, stormed their hideout out three days later at about 8:00am and set free the abducted retired general.
In a phone chat with the Delta State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, who confirmed the operation, stated that the police killed one of the kidnappers in a gun battle at Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area.
Police also arrested two of the kidnapper, according to the Commissioner, who hinted that the residence used as operational base by the gang would be set ablaze.
It was also gathered that the fourth kidnapper, who sustained bullet wounds, was still at large, but the police were hunting for him.
He said, “The General was kidnapped on Wednesday. In a fierce gun duel, one of the kidnappers was gunned down, the rescued general, described the raid of the kidnapping den, where he was chained as commando type and praised the brevity of the tactically disciplined squad, led by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO”.
Narrating his ordeal to reporters, Unuode said, “I went with one S. O. Oyibo who deals on bamboo sticks, along the Ughelli / Port-Harcourt express way. On getting there, we saw one Toyota Sienna, parked close to the caravan, where the bamboos where kept.
And we saw the owner of the Sienna car defecating close to the caravan and we expressed concern why the man was defecating close to the caravan, because another who wanted to buy 200 pieces of Bamboos from Oyibo also went with us. After a while, we saw Oyibo discussing with the man and as I moved closer, they stopped the conversation and the man zoomed off in his Sienna.
After few minutes, the sienna resurfaced and boys emerged from it with pump actions and they were saying; “na you say make our oga pack shit”. They were three in the car, but only two came out and that was how I was bundled away through Amaekpa.
“After a while, I was blindfolded and whisked away with impunity. As we were going, they said I should give them N50 million, otherwise they would waste me. And I told them I do not have that kind of money and that I am a retired Army General.
“They took me to their Hideout; a living environment. People in the area were speaking Isoko; the boys guiding me were also conversing in Isoko. I was hearing the sound of vehicles and motorcycles; the place was close to a busy road. And from that Wednesday that they took me until I was rescued by the police, I refused food. I lived on water all through.
“Later, they reduced the ransom fee to N20 million, later came down to N15, N10 and N5 million and the boys felt insulted when my son they were negotiating with mentioned N450, 000. They seriously tortured me coupled with mosquito bites. The mosquitoes took advantage of me because I was properly chained to a chair and helpless.
“I was chained on my ankle; my knees were tied; my hands were tied; my mouth was tied and I was still under blindfold. I was subjected to all forms of inhuman treatment”.
One of the suspect who gave his name as Onajite Agomate, 26 years, a native of Jesse town in Ethiope East said he is a student of Success Secondary School, Ekpan in Uvwie Local Government Area, Delta State.
While making a confessional statement, he said, “His boss, one Mr. Ramson residing in Benin, Edo State is the ring leader of the six-man kidnap squad that was responsible for some kidnapping activities in Delta State and Edo State. He said, he got to know Ramson through his elder brother in Greece, Mr. Mike Basikoro, when he was anxious to travel out of the country.”
While regretting involving in kidnapping, he said, they were six and three of them were detailed to guide the General before the police struck, adding that on sighting them, we fled into the nearby bush before I was fetched out by the security agencies and others ran away.
He said he was involved in the kidnapping and negotiation for ransom, but his duties is to guide and feed their prey. He confessed.
Last week, Ms. Siri Taiga, younger sister to the President-General of Olomu Kingdom, Olorogun Moses Taiga was abducted by unidentified gunman who broke into her apartment at Okpare-Olomu in Ughelli South LGA.
According to her, she was taken to an incomplete building at Oghara, Ethiope West LGA of the State where she was chained.
Speaking further, she said, her shouting and struggling with her abductors attracted the attention of passersby who came in and rescued her.
Meanwhile, thirteen males alleged to be members of the Neo Black Movement of Africa (NBM), were apprehended on Saturday, 23rd, March 2013 by the Joint Task Force (JTF), as performance of their inauguration of new executives/ initiation of new members was on top gear at Afiesere Secondary School, Ughelli, Delta State.
According to sources within the vicinity, the activities of the group started in the early hours of the day with gun shots and uproar that attracted the residents of the area who drew the attention of the police.
One of the victims, an undergraduate of Global Maritime Academy (GMA), Bayelsa State, who made confessional statements, said the cult members were gathered from different locations through their mobile contacts in view of the activity.
According to the police report, items recovered from them include; 31 Handsets of different brands, 12 Pistols, 2 Locally made guns, 3 Machetes, 2 Black berets supposed to be police type, 1 Laptop, I Chisel, 3 live Catridge, 1 Nail Pincher and N11, 050, alleged to be for the cult members.
The JTF had arrested twelve members of the group at the scene and later arrested a thirteenth member from the GMA who had fled the scene naked on the attack of the police while he was making frantic calls to get clothes to wear in another location.
According to reports, it was alleged that while the initiation for the new members was ongoing, those to perform the rites were stark naked as some of them later escaped following recovered clothing items by the JTF including bags and hard drugs.
Speaking on the arrest, the Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Gado Garaje confirmed the activities of the group as they were being held at the Ughelli Police Station.
On his part, the Area Commander, Mr. Awosola Awotinde, who spoke to newsmen said, “They are cult members who were caught by the rapid effort of the JTF and their activities have for long been a nuisance to residents of the area before the police swoop in on them.”
As at the time of filing in this report, they have since been charged to the Agbarha Magistrate Court of Ughelli North Local Government Area and have been remanded in the Warri Prison.
In the same vein, six suspected cultists operating in Okpanam near Asaba yesterday (Tuesday) reportedly ended their lives when they were said to have jumped into a well in the community on sighting security agents.
Police spokesman in the State, ASP Famous Ajieh confirmed that the suspects were ambushed by detectives who acted on a tip off on their operation.
ASP Ajieh said that their bodies were recovered few hours later adding that their bodies have since been deposited at the State owned general Hospital Mortuary Okwe.
Only recently, a fight among some boys suspected to be cultists around a popular Hotel in Obiaruku reportedly led to the death of a middle aged man.
According to the police spokesman, the death of the victim and the crisis at the community were later brought under control when Anti-riot policemen were drafted to the area.
He disclosed that the owner of the well was cooling his heels at the Police CID cell for further investigation just as he said that boys had a fight in the hotel premises where the victim was shot, and rushed to the hospital where he died.
ASP Ajieh said that attempt by the youths to burn the Police station in the area was foiled and that the area was now calm as peace has returned.
No comments:
Post a Comment