The Anambra State Police Command has expressed concerns over the alleged spike and recurring incidents of kidnap in a part of the capital city.
This is coming in the light of trending publications and a voice note alleging that some groups of Fulani herdsmen have recently kidnapped no fewer than six persons along the Dubai Estate axis, off Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, just a few seconds drive away from the State Headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Awka, the state capital.
The trending reports and the voice note also alleged that the suspected Fulani herdsmen kidnappers collected a cumulative sum of seventy-six million naira (N76,000,000) as ransom from their victims just within the past few days.
It was further gathered that the kidnapped persons included a professor, who allegedly paid a ransom of N31 million; a young man driving a Toyota Highlander, who was kidnapped alongside his fiancee and who allegedly paid a ransom of N45 million as well as a boy and two girls, whose whereabouts are still unknown.
The voice note, which supposedly emanated from an eyewitness and resident of the area, further alleged that the suspected Fulani herdsmen have turned the hitherto peaceful area into a danger zone.
It added that a Toyota Camry salon that was recently burnt in front of a petrol station along the expressway belonged to a young man, who fled when the suspected kidnappers tried to abduct him as they set the car ablaze with gunshots after their prey escaped.
However, when contacted by this reporter, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Anambra State Police Command, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, said the Command had made deliberate security arrangements to nip in the bud such incident, both in the area and other parts of the capital city.
He further urged the said victims of the kidnap and other members of the public, who have more useful information about the incidents to come forward to the Command with same to aid the investigation as well as facilitate the apprehension of the said suspects.
“The Command intercepted the voice note made by an unidentified individual of alleged abduction/kidnapping incident and has made deliberate security arrangements to nip in the bud such incidents or otherwise in the state capital.”
“The Command encourages the victims to come forward to assist us with information for an investigation, please,” the PPRO said in a chat with this reporter.