The Anambra State Police Command has apprehended three individuals suspected of kidnapping an electrician after allegedly deceiving him with a fake job offer.
According to authorities, the suspects reportedly enticed the victim to Umuezeala Awuda, where he was ambushed, blindfolded at gunpoint, and subsequently held captive in a bush.
The arrested suspects were identified as Chidalu Obi, 25; Chichebem Ojenigbo, 26; and Chikannechukwu Eze, 20.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed that the arrests were made during a coordinated night operation carried out in collaboration with members of the Agunechemba Vigilante Group.
The operation took place in a bush at Umuezeala Awuda village, Nnobi, within Idemili North Local Government Area.
Ikenga stated that the operation led to the successful rescue of the victim, the arrest of the three armed suspects, and the recovery of a locally made Beretta pistol.
He also revealed that a ransom of Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand Naira (₦469,000) was retrieved from the suspects.
Preliminary investigations, he said, indicated that the suspects targeted the victim by pretending to offer him employment opportunities.
“Upon arrival at the agreed location, the victim was forcefully blindfolded at gunpoint and taken to the bush at Umuezeala Awuda, where he was held captive”, he stated
Further findings showed that the suspects confessed to the crime and admitted receiving a ransom payment of Four Hundred and Sixty-Nine Thousand Naira (₦469,000), which was allegedly transferred into a SportyBet account owned by one of the suspects, Chidalu Obi.
Ikenga reaffirmed the police command’s commitment to protecting lives and property across the state.
He also called on residents to support law enforcement efforts by providing timely and credible information.
