No fewer than 30 kidnappers, including members of the Biafra Auto Pilot, also known as Unknown Gunmen, a notorious breakaway faction of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) loyal to the Finland based, Simon Ekpa, which terrorised Enugu and its environs had been gunned down in shoot-outs with security operatives at various locations across the state in the past two weeks according to a police detective.
This was contained in a statement by Governor Peter Mbah’s media office which quoted a Police Superintendent, SP Onochie Ezeh, who led a joint security operation to rescue some kidnap victims at Ugwuogo Nike-Opi Road in the early hours of Wednesday.
The operation led to the killing of a seven-man gang kidnappers at Ogbeke Nike where the kidnappers used a large poultry farm to hide their hostages.
The police chief explained that Wednesday’s successful operation was part of the sustained operations in the state to flush out criminals operating from other neighboring states, including kidnappers, unknown gunmen and other unscrupulous elements.
“We were on the trail of these kidnappers for more than three months now. They had been operating within this axis where they kidnapped their victims and kept them at a large poultry farm at Ogbeke Nike until ransoms are paid.
“So, on a tipoff from members of the public who suspected the strange movements in the area and the accounts of some of the victims of these criminals, we swung into action. On sighting us, these men of the underworld opened fire on my men, and we quickly retaliated and overpowered them with our superior firepower,” he stressed.
Speaking further, SP Ezeh disclosed that the combined security task force, set up by the Enugu State governor, Mr Peter Mbah, as a tactical squad against kidnappings and activities of unknown gunmen, had recorded milestones in policing the state and flushing out criminal elements.
One of the rescued kidnap survivors, Dr Kate Pamela, said she was traumatised by the ugly experiences at the hands of the kidnappers.
