Police Kill Three Kidnap Suspects, Rescue Catholic Priest

Anambra State Anti robbery Squad, SARS, yesterday, gunned down three suspected kidnappers and arrested six others during a gun battle that lasted over an hour.

The state police command, at a briefing in Awka, said two of the victims of the kidnappers, Rev. Fr. C. Okoye of Archdiocese of Onitsha and one Onyekwelu Jonathan Eledu, were rescued by the police.

According to the police, the suspects killed were members of the dreaded gang that had been terrorizing the state which had the late Olisa Ifedika, alias Ofeakwu, as their kingpin. Ifejika’s house at Oraifite in Ekwusigo local government area had since been destroyed.

The police said they were able to dismantle the suspects’ detention camp at Orsumoghu in Ihiala local government area.

The hoodlums were said to have demanded a ransom from the family of the Reverend Father before luck ran out on them.

The police also said it had arrested 14 armed robbery suspects in the state since October 1, 2012, while two other robbery suspects were killed in a gun battle.

Items recovered from them include two- AK 47 riffles, one rocket launcher, one rocket, four rocket propellers, 18 AK 47, magazines and 300 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

According to the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Raphael Uzoigwe, the operatives are working assiduously to track down fleeing wounded members of the syndicate, while SARS was investigating the armed robbery suspects.