76-yr-old hypertensive kidnap victim dies after rescue operation

However, the victim, who was rescued on December 12 after the IRT men smashed the kidnapping gang and grabbed six suspects, died later. Items recovered from the suspects are two AK47 rifles and six magazines loaded with 180 rounds of live ammunition.

The suspects’ arrest and Okoye’s rescue followed the victim’s abduction on December 15 in Abia State and subsequent demand of N80 million ransom by the kidnappers. On December 18, IRT operatives were drafted into the case.

The victim was a major importer and a businessman in Aba but said to be an indigene of Anambra State. A police source said:

“The IRT operatives were instructed by the IG, Ibrahim Idris, to take over the case.

The detectives immediately swung into action and eventually arrested two of the kidnappers in Aba town. The suspects took combined team of IRT operatives and policemen from Abia State Police Command to the kidnappers’ camp at Okpukwu Umuobo area of Aba town.

The camp is a three bedroom house, rented and used for camping abducted victims. The operatives raided the camp and rescued the ailing Okoye. He is a hypertensive patient that had been held captive with his medicine.

He was rescued and four other kidnappers were arrested at the camp. These four suspects challenged the police teams to a gun battle, leading to them sustaining bullet wounds.”

The suspects, who are presently in police custody, are Chinonye Anoro (26) and Prince Sylvester 35, owner and driver of the operational bus. The bus had been used for eight operations in Aba. Others are Kingsley Papa (45), Ugbonabo Danjuma (43), who is the gang leader, Moses Clever (31) and Ogoro James (26).

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Anthony Ogbizi, yesterday announced that Okoye later died after being rescued. Parading the suspects, Ogbizi announced that he got a report that the victim had just died.