Monarch, pastor arrested for ‘kidnapping’

Eze Okuegbunuwa, traditional ruler of Obor community in Awara in Oguta local government area of Imo state, and Caleb Agu, a pastor at Winners Chapel in Njaba area of the state, have been arrested for alleged kidnapping.

The duo and other members of their gang were arrested by operatives of the anti-kidnapping unit and the special anti-robbery squad of the state.

Isaac Akinmoyede, the state commissioner of police who paraded the suspects, alleged that the syndicate was responsible for several kidnappings in the state, including the attack on a team of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency in May.

Akinmoyede said one personnel of the agency was killed during the attack while two others sustained wounds and that their rifles were carted away by the gang.

He said the traditional ruler provided the gang’s operational vehicle while the cleric was the leader of the gang.

The CP said the syndicate had abandoned their Lexus 330 jeep during an exchange of gunfire with the security operatives.

He said the sum of N4.2 million, one Lexus 330 SUV, four AK 47 rifles, one LAR rifle, one SMG rifle, 120 rounds of 7.62MM life ammunition were recovered from the gang.

“On July 28, at Umuokuzu Awara in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo state, SARS operatives through painstaking and diligent investigation arrested one Eze Andrew Okuegbunuwa, 59, of Obor community in Awara, Oguta LGA, Imo state, in connection with kidnappings and other armed robbery incidents,” he said.

“Investigation further revealed that the suspect provided the operational vehicle, Lexus RX 330 with number plate, URM 404 EL, for the kidnappers.

“Having lost the vehicle in an operation, the monarch was given the sum of N3 million to replace his vehicle by the kidnappers. It was further disclosed that the vehicle was not registered, as there is no record of it in the Federal Road Safety Corps database.”

When interviewed, the traditional ruler confirmed that the syndicate paid him N3 million to use his vehicle for their operations and that he had collected other sums of money from them too.

“My nephew took my vehicle to do kidnapping. I am not one of them. Though they have used my vehicle about four times and they gave me money,” he said.

The pastor, on his part, said he provided spiritual guide for the gang.

According to him, he had just been transferred to the Njaba chapter of Winners Chapel and was waiting to be assigned his residential apartment, before another pastor offered to harbour him until he secured his own accommodation.

The other members of the gang include Ikechukwu Njoku as protocol officer; Ebenezer Obioha, as operational commander and executor; Fabian Obioha, the gang armourer while Bernard Uzoma was the native doctor that provided ”protection from operational hazards and arrests”.