The Police in Rivers State, yesterday, paraded suspected kidnappers, who raided their victims and killed the protocol officer to former Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of the state.
Addressing newsmen, the state’s Commissioner of Police, Emeka Nwonyi, said the suspects before murdering the victim, received the sum of N2 million as ransom through a bank transaction.
The police boss said men of the Command, following credible intelligence, raided the suspects’ camp on June 20, injuring many of the criminals, who managed to flee with bullet wounds.
He said: “Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit, while acting on intelligence and a follow-up in a case of kidnapping and murder, arrested one suspect that ran away to Magboro Community in Obafemi Owode Local Council of Ogun State, in connection with the kidnap and murder of the late Justice Azunda, ‘m,’ the protocol officer to the Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Rivers State from Isiodu Community in Emohua Local Council of the state.
“During interrogation, the suspect confessed to have collected a ransom of N2 million through a bank transaction from the family of the victim, before he was murdered.
“On June 4, operatives raided the kidnappers’ camp located in Isiodu/Elibrada Forest.
“On July 20, members of the gang engaged the police operatives in a gun battle during which one suspect was fatally wounded, while others escaped with gunshot injuries.
“The fatally wounded suspect was identified as Chinedu Azunda, ‘m’, 36, popularly known as Omo, a native of Isiodu Community in Emohua Local Council. One pump action gun with a bag containing 22 rounds of live cartridges was recovered from the scene.
“Investigation is still in progress, as every effort to recover other operational weapons and arrest of the fleeing suspects is ongoing.”
Nwonyi added that on Thursday, operatives of the Command, following intelligence, uncovered an
other kidnappers’ camp in Ahoada West Local Council of the state where the criminals upon sighting the police opened fire, promoting a gun duel leading to the killing of one of the suspects, while others escaped.
“The hoodlums in their numbers, on sighting the Police operatives, engaged them in a gun duel and one of them was fatally wounded by the superior fire power of our operatives, while others escaped with bullet injuries.
“Exhibits recovered are- one AK47 rifle with breech number 549168 and five magazines loaded with 51 rounds live ammunition, three live cartridges, one live GPMG ammunition and some assorted charms,” the commissioner added.
