Department of State Security (DSS) Anambra State Command has arrested a serving councilor in Enugu State, Kingsley Chukwuka Eze, and nine other suspects over alleged involvement in kidnapping and murder.
They were suspected of having kidnapped and killed immediate past Commissioner of Science and Technology in Anambra State, Chike Okoli, after collecting N2 million as ransoms from members of his family. They were also suspected to have killed two other victims after collecting money from their relatives as ransoms.
Parading them before journalists at the DSS office in Awka, the State Director of Security, Alex Okeiyi, said his Command arrested the ten suspects in Awka, Awka South local government area (LGA) of Anambra State and Ugwuoba in Oji River LGA, Enugu State for series of kidnap incidents in both areas over a period of time.
He provided the names of the other suspects and their ages as Emmanuel Ifeanyi Anyanor (28), Sunday Nwafor (28), Casmir Anumba (45), and Vincent Chukwuego Nweke (2). Others are Ejiofor Nwaonwu (20), Victor Anayo Ezejiofor (21), John Onyekachukwu Ndianefo (34), Collins Ikechukwu Ngene (23) and Ikechukwu Nwokike (33).
“The gang is also suspected to have kidnapped immediate past State Commissioner for Science and Technology, C.C. Okoli in May 2014. On 23rd June 2014, the Command recovered from Anyanor the Sim Pack of an Airtel GSM No. used for negotiating the sum of N2 million paid for his release. The suspect confessed he bought and registered the Sim card and four others for negotiating the ransom.
“The Command suspected that the recent victim they claimed to have killed and buried was that of the Commissioner, but Nwafor and Anyanor severally took operatives to the forest where they reportedly buried him and could not locate the grave” he said.
The State DSS boss alleged that the councilor, Eze (38), was mastermind of the kidnap of one lady identified as Ezeugo in Oji River LGA in April 2014, on whom a ransom of N700, 000 was paid for her release, adding that he provided his Hyundai Accent car for the operation and a hideout in Oji River where she was kept for three days.
