By Okey Alozie
Residents of Agwa and neighboring communities of Ejemekwuru, Izombe and Ogbaku are sleeping with eyes open and keeping watch of their environment following incessant kidnap incident in the area.
On Sunday, Agwa and surrounding communities of Izombe, as well as Ogbaku and Orogwe in Mbaitoli and Owerri West LGAs respectively were in turmoil over activities of kidnappers.
The build up to the confusion started after two in the afternoon when a young lady suspected to be one of the kidnap gang went to a Pentecostal pastor for “deliverance and counseling”. The pastor, who had just finished Sunday service in his church at Umuekpu Agwa and one of the Agbasos and younger brother to the patriarch, Martin Agbaso, who is a man of God was still administering counseling and engaging prayer when armed young men accosted and whisked him away. The sporadic shooting of the hoodlums to ward off any attack and scare away people attracted people in the community who trooped out to offer resistance. The gunmen were given a hot chase leading to the capturing of the young lady who missed her way during the hot pursuit of the fleeing criminals. Youths of the area pounced on her until she allegedly confessed of being the girl friend of another suspect who hails from Umuomi Agwa (names withheld). The young woman was handed a phone to call the boyfriend who appeared to confirm he knew the girl while the villagers pounced on the young man, security agencies including anti kidnap squad of the state police command appeared and arrested them.
Trumpeta learnt that in the curse of interrogation, the arrested persons allegedly revealed the identity of their suspected partners in crime domiciled at Ogbaku and Orogwe towns. At Ogbaku, it was more of a battle field where the security operatives engaged the criminals in a shoot out before the suspect was nabbed. Same scenario was witnessed in Orogwe before they were whisked away by policemen. Meanwhile, the where about of the abducted Pastor Agbaso who has been offering humanitarian services aside spiritual healing taken away in motorcycle and keke is yet unknown as at the time of this report.
In a related development, another four-man kidnap gang has been arrested in Mbaise by security operatives in the area.
Report has it that a notorious kinpin and other criminal elements in the area who have been giving sleepless nights to people of Enyiogugu Mbaise and sister communities, penultimate Thursday, met their waterloo as security operatives on patrol at the place got report on their activities and decided to trace them.
The story has it that it was learnt that concerned citizens of Enyiogu community in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State alerted the Imo Security Network officers of the movement of suspected criminals last week. The hoodlums were traced through the market square (Afor Enyiogugo) where it was discovered that they wanted to kidnap a paticular Prof (name withheld) who lectures at University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
An eye witness account revealed that the ISN Officer, Mr Kingsley Onyenkwere swung into action with his men to search for the suspects and in the process there was exchange of fire when both parties clashed on their way.
The hoodlums were reported to have abandoned their vehicle and while trying to escape, the security officer Mr Onyenkwere grabbed them It could be recalled that Governor Rochas Okorocha ones promised that the condition of promoting any ISN officer is the number of kidnappers how caught. From record, Mr Onyenkwere who hails from Nguru in Aboh Mbaise. When contacted, police PRO, Joy Elomoko DSP confirmed the two incidents adding that the state command is in hot pursuit of the fleeing gunmen who is still holding Agbaso while investigation is still on concerning the kidnap cases of Agwa and Mbaise.
