Rescue (3)

Umuahia – AS the 24 hour ultimatum issued by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ogbonna Onovo to the hoodlums who kidnapped four journalists last Sunday in Obingwa area of Abia state, expired without the abducted journalists being freed, Governor Theodore Orji has hired Israeli security experts who are assisting the police to track down the kidnappers and rescue their victims.


Wahab Oba , 2nd right with Lagos CP, Marvel Akpoyibo and others, at an event, recently in Lagos.

The Israelis were seen with Onovo when they visited Umuahia and Aba, Tuesday, in preparation for the operation to rescue the kidnapped journalists. Onovo met and consulted with Governor Orji, Aba business community and the over 800 traditional rulers in the state, including those from Obingwa council, seen as haven for crimes, especially kidnapping.

The police said they would embark on house to house, community to community search for criminals and weapons in Ngwa land and other communities in the state.

Meanwhile, the leadership of NUJ has been communicating with the abductors who insisted on N250 million ransom for the release of the journalists.

Onovo who addressed the royal fathers Tuesday evening, after addressing Aba business community, lamented the bad image the menace of kidnapping has brought to Ndigbo. Even his job, he lamented, may as well be threatened because this atrocity is being committed by youths from his geo-political zone.

Though he admitted that some of his men are involved in the evil crime of kidnapping , he assured that they were being taking care of. He wondered why Ndigbo would only be leaders in evil acts that fetch money, saying that it is against the hard working spirit which Ndigbo are known for.

“On our part, we have a problem because some of our men have hands in them (crimes). We have to put our house in order too. We are already taking care of them. A lot of our men are in Abia not to work any more but to trade, make money”, Onovo lamented...

Onovo who spoke in Igbo language, called on the royal fathers to be of assistance on the planned operation to flush out kidnappers in the state, particularly in Ngwa land. He also said he came to Abia specifically because of the “embarrassment” the kidnappers are causing the Federal Government.

Onovo further said that South East leaders, especially himself and the Governors have become objects of mockery by their colleagues from other zones, who always embarrassed them each time they met, asking them mockingly, about kidnapping and at times making caricature of them by calling them kidnappers. Onovo particularly lamented his own experience where he said that he is now regarded as “a doctor that could not cure himself ” because this evil in being committed in his area.

“I came from Abuja because of what is happening in our land. It is embarrassing. I don’t know when Ndigbo joined in leading bad life. Our youths are now committing all manner of evils just to make money. Ndigbo are killing Ndigbo in Igboland. They kidnap anybody at sight-old, young even royal fathers. It is a big problem. Are Ndigbo the only people who are facing hardship? Why are our youths in the forefront of these evils?

“When drug was in vogue, it was Igbos. In 419, it was our people. Robbery, our people also lead. Must we be first only in evil things? Our royal fathers, please you have to find solution to this, even if it means calling on our forefathers to intervene like what happened in Benin where the Oba said enough was enough. Ndigbo are noted for their hard work, not crime. But the quest and love for money have changed this virtue for bad. We recognize their wealth without minding how it came. We need you to give us information about these people.”
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‘How we were kidnapped’
•Onovo deploys special detectives to rescue abducted journalists


Four journalists that were ambushed and kidnapped last Sunday have narrated how they ran
into armed gunmen along Ikot-Ekpene-Aba road.

This comes as the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mr. Ogbonna Onovo yesterday ordered the deployment of special detectives from Imo and Akwa Ibom State to handle the case.

Also, Senate President David Mark has called on the kidnappers, who have demanded a ransom of N250 million, to release the journalists without any condition.
Photo: Wahab Oba One of the journalists & IGP Onovo

Those abducted are Chairman Lagos State Council Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Wahab Oba, Secretary of Zone G Adolphus Okonkwo, Acting Secretary Lagos State Council Sylvester Okereke, Lagos-based journalist Sola Oyeyipo and the driver of the vehicle.

In phone conversations with NUJ National Secretary Leman Shuaibu, Oba and Okonkwo said they were taken unawares.

Wahab had travelled to Ibadan, Oyo State, last week Tuesday for the Press Council week of that chapter. From there, he proceeded to his hometown of Ilorin in Kwara State to see his aged mother.

He left for Abuja last Wednesday for another official assignment. Okonkwo and Okereke flew into Abuja for that same event. They all left the capital city together on Thursday for Akwa Ibom State to attend the NUJ National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.

On Friday, they attended the opening ceremony, the closed-door meeting on Saturday and left Uyo by 8am the following day. It was on their way back that they were attacked in a Serene Space bus around 10am.

The journalists told Shuaibu that there was a convoy of three vehicles transporting all of them. The first one was attacked by the gunmen who were operating in a Volvo car. They shot into the air while two of them jumped into the bus and forced the driver at gunpoint to follow their vehicle, they said.

Immediately, the two other cars swerved towards another direction. They stopped at some point and fled into the bush. They emerged 30 minutes later and re-boarded their vehicles.

The kidnappers contacted the NUJ National President Garba Mohammed three hours later. They also spoke to the Vice-Chairman of Lagos NUJ Deji Elumoye and demanded for N250 million ransom.

By 1pm yesterday, the kidnappers had not backed down. They spoke to Shuaibu and maintained that they were still waiting for the money. Oba and Okonkwo, were however, allowed to speak to Shuaibu.

The journalists said they were in good condition but were anxious to regain their freedom. Shortly after that, the phone was snatched from them. The kidnappers then asked Shuaibu to ensure that the ransom is paid to avoid any ugly incident.

Hundreds of journalists trooped to Oba's residence in Arepo, Ogun State, yesterday. A prayer session was held for the release of their colleagues.

Meanwhile, the SSS and police are already tracking the kidnappers. Also, Onovo has directed special detectives from Imo and Akwa Ibom States to ensure their release.

The directive was contained in a statement signed by Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Force Headquarters Mr. Emmanuel Ojukwu. It said Onovo had directed both Imo and Akwa-Ibom Police Commands to assist in securing the release of the journalists.

According to the statement, the police is deeply concerned about the incident. The force urged members of the NUJ “to be calm over the abduction of their colleagues. We are actually working to rescue your people now in bondage but let me tell you that their kidnappers will be arrested, I can assure you that your colleagues would return to you safely like nothing ever happened to you.”

In another statement in Abuja issued by Shuaibu, the NUJ official urged journalists to remain calm as the union is on top of the matter. Oba’s wife, Barakat, expressed concern over the deteriorating state of health of his 80-year old mother. “What on earth do I know would happen to mama?”she asked.

Another NUJ official, Elumoye, appealed to journalists not to write any story that could jeopardise “our moves of securing the captured safely from the hands of the kidnappers.”

“For now, we are yet to know there location but we have spoken with them on the telephone this morning,” he explained.

The state wing of the National Association of Women Journalists also organised a prayer session at the NUJ Secretariat, Ikeja.

On his part, Senate President David Mark yesterday condemned the spate of kidnappings and abduction and tasked security operatives to “rise up to the challenge and save the citizens of his avoidable hostility in the hands of criminals.”

“No responsible government would allow this to continue,” said the Mark. He added that “we must all rise to the occasion and curb the menace.”

In a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary Mr. Paul Mumeh, the Senate President told the kidnappers to release forthwith the abducted journalists unconditionally, saying, “Enough of this embarrassment, we cannot continue to allow this to happen; criminality of any form is condemnable, it cannot be our way of life.”

Mark called on communities, especially traditional rulers, to join the fight against kidnapping. He sympathised with the families of the victims and the NUJ.
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advertisement here ask9ja.com free classifieds ! The police at the weekend, rescued a three-year-old boy from a robbery gang which was tutoring him on how to go about robbery operations. The gang was being led by the child’s father, Olumide Joseph. He was arrested in company of his child and other gang member, Temidayo Akindekan at the Ikorodu area of Lagos. advertisement here ask9ja.com free classifieds ! The police said the modus operandi of the two-man gang was to go for robbery in company with the little child so as to deceive the crime fighters each time they were accosted during and after operations. However, luck ran out on them when, at the weekend, the police refused to be deceived. Initially, the police had suspecting that the little boy may have been kidnapped by the gang, which had earlier snatched a bus. Parading the suspects at the state command headquarters, Ikeja, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Frank Mba, who described the two man-gang as notorious said: “It was quite abnormal and shameful that a father could be tutoring his under-aged child how to be a robber. It was unheard of and unbelievable that a father could debase himself to such a despicable standard.” He said God had redeemed the little boy from the hands of “this gang which should have turned him to a Frankinstein monster. It will be unimaginable the type of person the boy would have been turned into. Infact, it would have been a devil let loose. We thank God for his mercy towards this angel.” He said the gang was responsible for so many car snatching and theft in Lagos and Ogun states. Mba said the gang specialized in stealing buses which they would refurbish and paint to commercial colour which they would give to drivers for commercial purposes. He revealed that five buses have been recovered from them while detectives were on trail of other buses. Speaking with Joseph, he said: “Yes, the boy in question is my son. I take him along when I am going to steal buses because I have no other person to leave him with at home because the mother is no longer with me.” On whether he did not know that the child would take after him. he said: “Well, I knew but I was hoping to quit crime before he will become an adult.” He said he hated what he was doing but owing to the economic hardship in the country and family pressure, he had no alternative. advertisement here ask9ja.com free classifieds !
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