Luck was not on the side of a four – man kidnap gang who met their waterloo at Umuapu a border town ofOhaji/Egbema LGAofImoState.
The rampaging gang who invaded the sleepy town ofUmuapuin the evening hours succeeded in carting away two victims but their operation ran into a hitch as they could not move their captives out of the town.
According to a witness who did not believe the mission of the kidnappers until they struck, the abductors sneaked into the community with a Sienna Toyota vehicle to the household of a prominent stranger residing in the town for years. The target was the matriarch who escaped from the jaws of the kidnappers by hairs breath.
But his children who were within the family were not spared as the criminals quickly abducted them and bundled them into the waiting Sienna. In a bid to escape, the Sienna was stuck in a mud, making their escape impossible.
Apparently aware of the danger posed by the stuck vehicle and shouts from the victims of their predicament, some youths of the area rushed to the scene and in the ensuring melee, the other three suspects escaped leaving their colleague in the drivers seat behind. The villagers grabbed the driver of the Sienna, gave him some physical attack before soldiers on patrol came to rescue. The suspects claimed he was an airport taxi driver atOmagwaAirport, near Portharcourt hired by the fleeing kidnappers for the job.
Efforts to get army reaction on the matter proved abortive but a source from Obinze barrack who does not want his name in print disclosed that the suspect is in their custody.
