Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, Saturday night ordered the immediate demolition of the building used by kidnappers at Osokwa in Osisioma Ngwa Council to keep four of their victims for five days without food.

He also directed the State Local Government/Chieftain Affairs Commissioner to interface with the traditional ruler of the community to extract useful information on the incident, reasoning that such criminal activity and the keeping of kidnapped victims could not be taking place in the community without attracting attention from any member of the community.

Otti, who gave the order when the State Police Commissioner (CP), Mr. Danladi Isa, reported the incident to him, taking along the four rescued victims, promised some undisclosed financial reward to the Police Tactical Team members.

He renewed his vow that no part of the state would be allowed to harbor criminals and that any house owner or community leader who provides protection or operational facilities to or for criminal activities shall be prosecuted and made to face the consequences.

He recalled and condemned the reported recent killing of two people in the Ukwa area of the state and the kidnapped indigene of the state who has remained in captivity at an unknown location.

The CP earlier told the governor at Government House, Umuahia, that the four men were abducted on March 9 along New Umuahia Road in Obingwa Local Government Area and that the police tactical team quickly initiated an operation following an intelligence report on the kidnappers’ location.

“Using advanced technology, our men tracked the kidnappers to Osokwa on Friday, March 14, and stormed the hideout where the victims were kept in a private building.

“The criminals responded with heavy gunfire, and in the ensuing exchange, six of them (kidnappers) were neutralized, while others fled with bullet wounds. Two AK-47 guns, six magazines, and 32 rounds of ammunition were recovered.”

Adding that necessary actions are ongoing to apprehend the fleeing criminals, the CP thanked Governor Otti for his support of the police and other security agencies in the state and appealed to state residents to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of criminals.

One of the rescued kidnapped persons said they were abducted last week at Osusu Amukwa in Obingwa Council along New Umuahia Road by some men who had earlier abducted a male friend in front of his house.

“They double-crossed our vehicle, ordered us out into another vehicle, and took us to an unknown destination, where they kept four of us in one small windowless room in a residential building without food for five days.

“Our kidnappers collected our phones and began using them to contact our family members for ransom. Some of us used our phones to transfer money to them, but in the end, we did not pay a ransom before we were suddenly rescued by the police.”