Police arrest suspected kidnap kingpin after 7 years of manhunt

Police arrest suspected kidnap kingpin after 7 years of manhunt

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnap kingpin who had been on the run since 2015 when he was declared wanted.

The suspect, whose name was given as Mathew Edozieuno Nwankwo was said to be a member of a notorious kidnap gang that was terrorizing the state during the regime of former Governor Willie Obiano.

Nwankwo allegedly fled from the state when his gang members were arrested, only to reappear in the state recently, apparently with the impression that he could enjoy a safe haven in the state since the regime of Obiano has ended.

However, following a tip off, the state Police Command arrested Nwankwo at his village in Nteje, Oyi local government area in the early hours of Tuesday.

Our correspondent recalls that Nwankwo’s house and those of his gang members were demolished at Nteje and Umueri in Anambra East local government area respectively while he was on the run .

The leader of the team that carried out the demolition, Mr. Joseph Agugoesi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police, named other gang members as Mr Solomon Chibuzor Morah, aka Mmili, and Hyacinth Chibudu whose houses were also demolished.

According to Agugoesi, the gang members were collecting a lot of money as ransom, adding that they once collected N70 million from their victims before they were arrested.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the arrest, said that the suspect is currently in police custody, adding that further investigations were ongoing.