The Ebonyi State Police Command on Thursday arrested a gang of
suspected hoodlums doubling as political thugs that kidnapped a local
town crier, Ogbonnaya Okoro (alias BigBoy).
Okoro was abducted in Okposi Community in Ohaozara Local Government
Area of the state last Tuesday.
Seven members of the gang, who are being detained at the police
headquarters in the state, were apprehended in a nearby community.
The police said the arrest was made possible following a tip off from
members of a vigilance group in the community.
The victim told journalists that his abductors came to his home in the
late hours of Tuesday and started beating him with machetes and clubs
before dragging him into a waiting mini-bus.
Okoro said once inside the mini-bus, which bore the inscription of one
of the governorship candidates in the forthcoming governorship
election in the state, the men blindfolded him with a red cloth, which
made it impossible for him to know where he was at every particular
time.
"After traveling some distance, they brought me out and started
beating me. When they stopped, they asked me how much I was paid to do
an announcement by another political party, saying that they would
kill me if I didn't comply with what they will ask me to do," he said.
The town crier stated that the hoodlums brought him to the community
market square and directed him to start beating the gong and telling
the people that he sold his community for N5, 000 and that the people
should vote for the candidate of a particular party.
"While I was doing the announcement the men continued to beat me at
the back with machetes and clubs," he added, saying that the beating
continued until the men of Afikpo zonal police command came and
rescued him.
Some of the weapons found in the possession of the hoodlums include
various sizes of machetes and metal axes.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Chris
Anyanwu, explained that since the matter was under anti-kidnapping
department of the police command, the report was yet to get to his
office.
Anyanwu, however, said he would brief the press as soon as
investigations were concluded.
suspected hoodlums doubling as political thugs that kidnapped a local
town crier, Ogbonnaya Okoro (alias BigBoy).
Okoro was abducted in Okposi Community in Ohaozara Local Government
Area of the state last Tuesday.
Seven members of the gang, who are being detained at the police
headquarters in the state, were apprehended in a nearby community.
The police said the arrest was made possible following a tip off from
members of a vigilance group in the community.
The victim told journalists that his abductors came to his home in the
late hours of Tuesday and started beating him with machetes and clubs
before dragging him into a waiting mini-bus.
Okoro said once inside the mini-bus, which bore the inscription of one
of the governorship candidates in the forthcoming governorship
election in the state, the men blindfolded him with a red cloth, which
made it impossible for him to know where he was at every particular
time.
"After traveling some distance, they brought me out and started
beating me. When they stopped, they asked me how much I was paid to do
an announcement by another political party, saying that they would
kill me if I didn't comply with what they will ask me to do," he said.
The town crier stated that the hoodlums brought him to the community
market square and directed him to start beating the gong and telling
the people that he sold his community for N5, 000 and that the people
should vote for the candidate of a particular party.
"While I was doing the announcement the men continued to beat me at
the back with machetes and clubs," he added, saying that the beating
continued until the men of Afikpo zonal police command came and
rescued him.
Some of the weapons found in the possession of the hoodlums include
various sizes of machetes and metal axes.
When contacted the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Chris
Anyanwu, explained that since the matter was under anti-kidnapping
department of the police command, the report was yet to get to his
office.
Anyanwu, however, said he would brief the press as soon as
investigations were concluded.
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