A few hours after Okonjo
reunited with her family at the palace of the Obi of Ogwashi-Ukwu, the
police in Delta State shed light on the circumstances that led to her
release.
The Commissioner of
Police, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, said there had been a bloody shootout
between his men and the kidnappers in Asaba, the state capital, which
had resulted in the rescue of the kidnap victim.
During the encounter, a
suspected kidnap kingpin, Mr. Nwazor Nwose, aka Bolaji, believed to have
masterminded the abduction, was shot dead by security agents.
In a meeting with
journalists in Asaba, Aduba described Nwose as a notorious kidnapper who
had been arraigned in court on a previous kidnap charge in Delta State
and granted bail.
The CP said, “Nwose was
arrested a few months ago, investigated and arraigned in court for
kidnapping and was released on bail by the court. But he returned to
Asaba and continued his nefarious activities.
“This time, he met his
Waterloo. Combined detectives from the IGP taskforce and that of the
State Police Command swung into action and invaded his hideout.
Immediately he sighted the police he jumped a very high fence. Our men
had no option; we had to obey the rule of engagement and opened fire on
him.
“He continued, but
eventually we got him by trailing the blood stain. We rushed him to
Federal Medical Centre, Asaba where he gave up the ghost.
“Notwithstanding, four
members of the gang were picked up. Two have been indicted so far.
Another notorious criminal called Bright is in our custody. The names of
the other gang members are Hard Rock, Tse-tse fly, and Tipper Boy.”
Nwose had previously been involved in the abduction and murder of an oil magnate in Asaba in 2011.
Aduba said the operation to rescue the queen began on Dec. 13, stressing that it was concluded in the early hours of Dec. 14.
He said the police
refrained from attacking the hideout of the kidnappers in Kwale, Ndokwa
West LGA on account of the frail and advanced age of the victim.
Aduba said Prof. Okonjo was brought to the palace on a motorcycle early yesterday morning hale and hearty.
“We knew the victim was
in Kwale, but we were very cautious not to invade the town so that she
would not be harmed. We waited patiently and continued to monitor the
area. Mama was brought in this morning by a motorcycle,” he said, adding
that the two vehicles used in the abduction of Okonjo, a Toyota minibus
with registration number KPP 64 XA and a grey Volkswagen Golf car
registration number ASB 697 AA, had been impounded.
The residents of Ogwashi-Uku jubilated as the news of Okonjo’s release reached them on Friday.
Earlier, in an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said the government had refused to negotiate with the kidnappers.
In the report, which was
published online, Uduaghan claimed that the kidnappers might have
yielded to pressure to let Prof. Okonjo go.
Still, speculation was
rife across the country that the N200m ransom demanded by the kidnappers
might have been paid before the minister’s mother was released.-PUNCH
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