Members of a suspected kidnap syndicate were arrested by the Anambra State Police Command. They had held a 14-year-old girl hostage for 27 days and repeatedly gang-raped her.
SP Haruna Mohammed, spokesperson of the Command, revealed in a statement on Monday that the suspects, including a 24-year-old woman, kidnapped the teen on December 12. They demanded ten million Naira ransom from her mother, which was later reduced after much pleading.
The suspects Onyemechi Aniobi, Elochukwu Okudo, and Pauline Elechi were apprehended at their hideout in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State on Sunday, February 9, 2020. The statement mentioned:
“On the 8/2/2020 at about 5:30pm, the Command Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) trailed and arrested at their hideout in Ogidi the following syndicate.
(i) Onyemechi Aniobi ‘m’ aged 23years,
((ii) Elochukwu Okudo ‘m’ aged 25 years and,
(iii) Pauline Elechi ‘f’ aged 24 years.
Suspects had on the 12/1/2020 allegedly kidnapped a 14-year-old girl in Onitsha
and took her to an undisclosed location.
Consequently, On the 30/1/2020, the syndicate contacted the victim’s mother through SMS and demanded a ransom of ten million Naira (#10,000,000), which was later reduced after much pleading by the mother. Suspects equally sent a First Bank account number 3120904371 bearing one John Blessing to the victim’s parent to deposit the ransom.
The victim, who was held hostage for twenty-seven (27) days and allegedly raped severally by the suspects, was rescued by the Police and taken to the hospital for medical Examination.”
The case is under investigation, and the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution.