Kidnappers kill 76-yr-old monarch’s wife

A 76-year-old woman and wife of the traditional ruler of Ihitoha Uratta community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Ugoeze Comfort Okoro, has been killed by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers. She was reportedly kidnapped in the presence of her husband, Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okoro Oha 1 of Ihitoha Uratta and other […]

A 76-year-old woman and wife of the traditional ruler of Ihitoha Uratta community in Owerri North Local Government Area of Imo State, Ugoeze Comfort Okoro, has been killed by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

She was reportedly kidnapped in the presence of her husband, Eze Dr. Emmanuel Okoro Oha 1 of Ihitoha Uratta and other domestic staff on January 26, one month after the couple celebrated their golden jubilee wedding anniversary.

Comfort’s corpse was reportedly found along a village road in Akabor community in Oguta Local Government Area of the state where it was dumped by her abductors.

A family source, who confirmed the incident said he came after the family had aid the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.

The source said that the kidnappers had stormed the house and shot sporadically, which created pandemonium before the deceased was taken away.

The source, who identified himself as Paul, a younger brother of the monarch said: “On Sunday January 26, 2020, a group of boys stormed the palace here and gathered the guards. He met the Eze and wife upstairs around 8.30 pm.

“They collected everybody’s phones including that of the Eze. They took Ugoeze away.”

He said the kidnappers called three days later and demanded a ransom.

However, luck was said to have run out on the kidnappers when the police  raided the house of one Okey Uche from the village, who is currently serving prison term at the Owerri Correctional Center and arrested some suspects, fingered in the kidnap of the deceased.

It was gathered that wife of the prisoner had harboured the suspects in her house when the police raided the place.

The spokesman of the police in the state, Orlando Ikeokwu, was not available for comments, but a member of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the state police command, who spoke anonymously, said the suspects are currently in police custody.