The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Stanley Onoriode Ekemaye, described as a “notorious kidnap kingpin” who allegedly masterminded the abduction of Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, a judge with the Benin division of the appeal court.
Nwosu was kidnapped on October 30 after being trailed from Ramat Park end of the Benin-Agbor road before her vehicle was intercepted around Christ Chosen Church of God International. Her police orderly was killed. She eventually regained her freedom after two weeks.
According to reports, Ekemaye was arrested by the secret police in the early hours of Tuesday at Okwuzi Egbema in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA in Rivers state.
Ekemaye is believed to have been coordinating robbery and kidnap operations around the Delta, Edo and Rivers axis for years.
Among his alleged victims are Francisca Okhiria, wife of the managing director of the Nigeria Railway Corporation, who was kidnapped on September 14 and released after three weeks.
Others are Esther Achimogu and Elias Ovesour who were kidnapped in June, as well as Elizabeth Mekuye, sister-in-law to Ifeanyi Okowa, the governor of Delta state, who was abducted in August and released early September.
Sylvanus Okogbenin, the chief medical officer of Irrua Specialist Hospital, was kidnapped on August 26 in an operation that led to the death of two police offers.
The kidnap was also traced to Ekemaye.
