By Tochi Onyeubi
The Imo State police command has yet again, recorded another feat in the community policing adopted by the Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim and implemented by Commissioner of Police, CP Galadanchi Dasuki in the rescue of five Corp members from Ibadan on their way to their orientation camp.
Information gathered revealed that, they were waylaid on the way from Ibadan to the East on board a vehicle to their orientation camp in Rivers state and Akwa Ibom by yet to be identified gunmen on Wednesday, in addition to two others.
Further information revealed that, they were kidnapped on the Owerri Portharcourt expressway and taken to Umuapu forest in Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area of Imo state and dispossessed of their valuables while placing 5m ransom on them, which they later reduced to 3m.
Addressing Journalists shortly after victims were rescued unhurt by police, CP Galadanchi gave the names of the corp members as Abiola Temitope, Olubisi Adekanmi, Jose Temitayo, Folarin Opeyemiand Shonibare Ademola. Other victims were identified as Leonard Uzondu and Raymond Ojodahe.
According to the CP, “The victims were travelling from Ibadan to Port Harcourt. Five out of the seven of them are prospective corps members. They were on their way to their NYSC orientation camps in Rivers and Akwa Ibom states for the three weeks camping.
“They were kidnapped around 5 am on Wednesday at Umuapu , on the Owerri -Port- Harcourt Expressway. The kidnappers took them to a forest and dispossessed them of all their belongings, including money, phones, ATM cards and voter cards.
“They compelled them to call their relatives at home to speak to them. Immediately contact was established, they instilled fear in the parents and demanded N5m for their freedom.”
The CP explained that through intelligence gathering, the operatives of the Counter Terrorism Unit of the command were alerted.
He said, “The operatives went into the bush and on sighting the officers, the kidnappers abandoned their victims and fled. We rescued them unhurt, but the hoodlums made away with their valuables.
Galadanchi said he had ordered investigation into the incident with a view to arresting the fleeing suspects.
One of the victims, Abiola, said, “They stopped our bus and ordered us at gunpoint to follow them into the forest. They were five with guns and machetes.
“In the bush they took our belongings except our credentials and ordered us to call our parents. They made a demand of N5m, but they later brought it down to N3m.
“They ordered us to close our eyes. They were even quarrelling on how to share our personal belongings which they took from us. It was in the process that the police intervened and they abandoned us and ran away.”
CP Galadanchi however informed that, that thorough investigation are on top gear to apprehend the fleeing suspects.
