Police In Enugu Nab Native Doctor, 8 Others Over Death of 84-Year-Old Woman

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines Friday, December 13th, 2013

IGNATIUS OKPARA, Enugu

The Enugu state Police, Command, Friday apprehended nine persons including a native doctor, in connection with the abduction and death of 84 years old octogenarian wife of the traditional ruler of Igogoro Community in Igboeze North Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that the arrest of the suspects followed a directive by the state Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abubakar Mohammed, who has ordered a full scale investigation into the alleged crime.

The state police public Relations Officer PPRO, Ebere Amarizu , DSP, in a statement issued Friday made available to African Examiner in Enugu, hinted that the suspects were arrested at their hideouts.

He gave their names to include Paschal Onah alias Achisa, Uche Ugwu, Chinwendu Adonu, Chikodi Idoko, Martin Okpe a native Doctor, Mamman Okechukwu, Ofobuike Okpe, Christain Onah and Friday Eze.

Amaraizu added that they were arrested after a severe gun duel with the police, saying that some of them were injured during the gun battle with the security operatives.

He disclosed that the leader of the gang identified as Paschal Onah had already confessed “how he and his gang had carried out the kidnap of the late madam Adisa Ogbo and how she was eventually buried by him and his gang in his compound where they have kept her awaiting for the payment of the sum of 10 million Naira as Ransom”.

According to the PPRO, Onah also confessed that the woman died after one week, forcing them to bury her in a shallow grave inside his compound, which he has turned to a dumping ground for kidnap victims.

“He further revealed that he also collected the sum of three hundred thousand naira from the family of the victim as the death of the woman was unknown to them”, he added.

The state police spokesman, also disclosed that the gang used to work hand in hand with the native doctor who normally prepares charm for them, adding that they said they used to give the native doctor Ram and the sum of N30,000 or N50,000 naira, respectively depending on the proceeds of their ransom.

“The leader of the gang, however regretted his action and advised people to stay out of crime and criminality as ones sin is bound to find him out one day”, Amaraizu quoted one of the suspects.

One of the suspects by name Uche Ugwu also regretted his action and disclosed that he has not made much since he joined and described it as a dirty game.

He narrated how he abandoned his cloth selling business at Abuja and heed to paschal’s call of joining a kidnap gang and advised youths to try as much as possible to shun crime and criminality.

The suspect, stated that he has only carried two kidnap operations with paschal with their cut to size double barrel gun, one revolver pistol and a locally made pistol and that they used to keep their victim at paschal’s house.

“Chinwendu Adonu, also a suspect disclosed that it was greed that lured him into joining a kidnap gang as he used to sell cloth in Benue State before he joined the unholy gang.

He disclosed that he wanted to quit what he described to be a dirty game but the leader of the gang threatened to kill him if he quits although according to him, he did not report it to the police” Amaraizu quoted him as saying.