3 in police net over kidnap of doctor in Abia

The police in Abia State have paraded three suspects alleged to have kidnapped a doctor with the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia. Dr Innocent Onyekachi Iwegbu was reportedly kidnapped on August 13 and a ransom of N50 million was demanded. However, he was rescued three days later with the collaborative efforts of the community, the police […]

The police in Abia State have paraded three suspects alleged to have kidnapped a doctor with the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia.

Dr Innocent Onyekachi Iwegbu was reportedly kidnapped on August 13 and a ransom of N50 million was demanded. However, he was rescued three days later with the collaborative efforts of the community, the police said.

The suspects, Ikechukwu Ndubuisi, Chukwuma Orji and Benjamin Odinakachi Ogbonna, were said to belong to a “dreaded armed robbery gang that terrorised Umuahia and adjoining communities.”

The police said efforts have been intensified to track the remaining fleeing suspects and recover the Mitsubishi bus used for the crime. 

However, the arrested suspects denied any involvement in the doctor’s kidnap. One of them, 35-year-old Benjamin Ogbonna said he is a commercial motorcycle rider at Isi Court, in Umuahia South council area.

 He said he was arrested by the police operatives when he went to Umuahia in search of passengers who had booked him the previous day. He said because of a heavy downpour he could not keep the appointment but he went the next day and enquired about the people but the villagers instead rounded him up branding him a member of the kidnap gang. He said his people were not even aware of his whereabouts.

Also, 26-year-old Ikechukwu Ndubuisi from Ntigha in Isiala Ngwa North said he was at home when some people came to where he was staying with some colleagues and raised alarm. He said because he did not know about the kidnap, he did not run when the alarm was raised, leading to his arrest by the villagers who handed him over to the police.

The third suspect, 65-year-old Chukwuma Orji from Ohokobe Ndume in Umuahia North council area said he was surprised when policemen came to him saying that Ikechukwu Ndubuisi mentioned his name as the man who supplied them with arms. “I have never dealt in arms neither do I belong to the gang,” he said.