The council chairman of Ivo Local Government Area in Ebonyi State, Mr Emmanuel Ajah, has confirmed the arrest of eight kidnappers responsible for the killing of Emmanuel Igwe, a staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
PulseNets reports that the incident took place along the Ishiagu-Mpu road last Sunday.
Addressing reporters in Abakaliki, the state capital, Mr Ajah shared the details of the arrests, highlighting the collaborative efforts of various security agencies that led to the successful capture of the criminals.
He said, “The kidnappers who mercilessly killed the INEC staff last Sunday, along with the abduction of his wife and the gruesome murder of Ajah Okeafor’s father, have all been apprehended.”
Additionally, Mr Ajah disclosed that the kidnappers had been sighted in the company of Fulani herdsmen and some delinquent individuals from the Lonkpanta community. The culprits were eventually traced after the ransom was handed over.
Expressing the gravity of the situation, Mr Ajah conveyed the tireless efforts made by the authorities since the incident occurred.
“We have been tirelessly working since the incident took place. The kidnappers demanded a ransom, and we complied. Through the combined efforts of security agencies and my personnel, we successfully tracked them down to their hideout. We have arrested eight of them, and our search for the remaining two, who are the main masterminds, is still ongoing,” he stated.
Moreover, Mr Ajah emphasised that the apprehended suspects were responsible for various kidnapping cases in the local government area. He vowed to mobilise security operatives to conduct a thorough raid of their hideouts, aiming to prevent further occurrences.
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In light of these events, Mr Ajah issued a stern warning to the residents of the council, urging them to refrain from engaging in conspiracies or any form of criminal activity. He asserted that no one would be exempt from the law’s reach and called upon them to provide the police with any pertinent security information that could aid in the capture of the fugitive suspects.
