Owerri jailbreak: 35-year-old alleged kidnap kingpin arrested in Imo

The Imo state police command yesterday said that it has arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin and one of the alleged escapees from the Owerri jailbreak, a 35-year-old man, one Eze Obinna, from Amaimo, Ikeduru Local government area of Imo state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Orlando Ikeokwo, who disclosed this to newsmen in Owerri, added that Obinna was arrested at Obinze in Owerri West local government area in the state.

According to the police, his arrest came after intelligence that he had organized another kidnap gang and was terrorising the people of the area.

On how he was arrested by police as captured by Vanguard: “On 17th May 2021, operatives of the Command’s Quick Intervention Team QIT arrested one Eze Obinna, “Male” 35 years old, a native of Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo state, over his involvement in series of kidnap incidents lately.

“The operatives while acting on the directives of the Commissioner of Police, CP ABUTU YARO, FDC. To rid Imo state of crime and criminality. To take the war against violent crime to the den of the hoodlums, as well as rearrest the escapee inmates of the Correctional Services. Stormed Obinze, Owerri West LGA, Imo State, arrested the said Eze Obinna who has since his escape from the Prison, formed another deadly kidnap gang and have been terrorising Owerri and environs.

“Recall that sometime in December 2020, the suspect was arrested by the operatives of the Anti Kidnapping unit, for kidnapping a victim, where he personally transferred the sum of five Million Naira (N5,000,000) from the victim’s Bank account to his own account, and later collected the sum of Four Million Naira (N4,000,000) cash, as ransom from the same victim.”

“While the victims Toyota Venza car is yet to be recovered. Three AK 47 Rifles with a large number of ammunition were also recovered from them then. They were charged to court and remanded in prison custody. However, they were set free during the attack on the Correctional services on 5/4/21.

“The Commissioner of Police has ordered the arrest of all his gang members, as well as moping up their operational arms, efforts are ongoing in that regard, while the investigation is ongoing,” Police said.