Man Flees Kidnappers’ Den After Two Weeks

A 47-year-old man, Philips Emekudu, resident of Okpanam community near Asaba in Delta State, on Thursday evening escaped from his abductors after two weeks in his kidnappers’ den.

It was gathered that the victim was on his way to his house on the day he was kidnapped in his Lexus 350 SUV along Okpanam road, when a six-man gang of suspected kidnappers swooped on him close to a popular hotel, and forced him into the car before they zoomed off to an unknown destination.

The victim while narrating his ordeal to journalists Sunday, said: “They took me away to a bush where I was kept for two weeks without good food until I was assisted to escape by one of them who claimed I assisted him some years back.”

It would be recalled that the Delta State Police Command had launched a search for the whereabouts of the victim before the kidnappers established contact with his relations.

Also, in Ibusa, near Asaba, two suspected kidnappers were arrested by the police after they had lured their victim through social media to the town.

The victim, who was invited by the suspects from Owerri in Imo State to Ibusa on Facebook, was kidnapped and dragged into the bush by the suspects, and later demanded a ransom of N200,000 from the victim’s relations before they were arrested.

Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, police spokesman in the state confirmed that the suspects were currently undergoing investigation and they will be charged to court on completion of investigation.

Meanwhile, the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) attached to the state command, Asaba, Sunday arrested three suspected car robbery suspects at the residence of a 52-year-old widow (name withheld) around Infant Jesus road, Asaba.

Aniamaka, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, disclosed that the police acted on intelligence, adding that the suspects upon interrogation, confessed to the crime and took them to Agbor where they recovered 13 vehicles.

The suspects, whose names were given as Kayode Fredrick, Nnamdi Kenneth, and Boniface Iwuobi, are being retained for further investigation.