Abia government demolishes two buildings over kidnapping

Abia State Government has demolished two bungalows at Eziala Nsulu in Isiala Ngwa North Local Council and Omalozu in Aba South Local Council, in compliance with its law on criminalities, including kidnapping.

The Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Janet Agbede led scores of policemen to the demolitions that were completed about 2.20 p.m. yesterday at Omalozu.

The Eziala Nsulu building housed a woman, who was reportedly kidnapped on December 12, 2020, at Obingwa in Obingwa Local Council while returning from a wedding with her husband.

She was rescued on December 21, 2020, from the demolished building by the police following a tip-off.

According to the police, the kidnapped woman was chained inside the building allegedly owned by one Joseph Ihemere, while her abductors demanded N10 million for her release.

Security Adviser to the State Governor, Capt. Awa Udensi (rtd.), said with the cooperation of the local vigilante and the community, three of the five suspects were arrested.

In the case of the Omalozu building, a police team had, following a tip-off, swooped on the building last month and arrested three persons who used the rooms of a co-tenant to hide their victims.

Udensi said that some rifles and ammunition were recovered. He added that the state had made kidnaping a capital offence, while buildings used in effecting the crime were demolished and the owners prosecuted.

He consequently urged owners of buildings in the state, whether occupied or not, to be cautious of what their buildings were being used for; hence the claiming ignorance of their use would not exonerate them from culpability and complicity.

An Eziala Nsulu community leader, told The Guardian on condition of anonymity: “We are very happy and support what has happened today in our community and hope it will deter other people from such criminal inhuman activity.”

Also, a female resident in the Omalozu building said one of the tenants arrested did not reside therein, but used it for ‘business’.

According to her, the suspect owed the landlord about three years’ rent, causing the landlord to ask him to vacate.