By Bankole Ganiyat
Police in Akwa, Anambra State has helped to rescue the daughter of Pastor Linus Okeke of the Foursquare Church, Akwa unharmed from the kidnappers’ den. Four of the suspects were arrested. It was gathered that the police engaged the suspects in a 30 minutes gun exchange in an attempt to rescue the victim.
It was further gathered that the baby was allegedly kidnapped at her father’s residence around Ngozika estate in Awka during night fall last week Wednesday, which the kidnappers have been demanding for a huge amount of money but later reduced it down due to the victim plea from N15 million to N3million.
Okechukwu Ali,the Police public relations officer in the state, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said that the leader of the gang, a motor mechanic, James Akowe, had been a family friend to the victim’s family, adding that upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime including other members of his gang.
According to him, “It was not an easy battle with the kidnap suspects around Nteje, Oyi local government area of the state, where they kept the small girl but nothing happened to our men.” He further disclosed that one of the suspects with serious bullet wound was currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.
Ali added that “the suspects destroyed the victim’s father’s house with bullets revealing that three days after the girl was kidnapped, the suspects carted away the victim’s parents’ ATM cards and forced them to disclose their pin numbers before proceeding to the bank where they allegedly emptied their accounts.”
