The Anambra State Police Command announced that it has launched the hunt for the kidnappers who abducted three people in various areas across the state, as well as the rescue of the victims.
On Saturday, three people were suspected to have been kidnapped in various locations around the state.
According to certain social media videos, one of the abductions took place on Saturday afternoon on the Ifite-Amansea-Awka Road in Awka North Local Government Area, while the other happened on Saturday evening on the Agulu-Oraukwu Road in Anaocha LGA.
According to the footage, two unidentified occupants of a sports utility vehicle were kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday afternoon at Ifite-Amansea-Awka, near Nnamdi Azikiwe University’s second gate.
Another group of gunmen on the Agulu-Oraukwu Road abducted one unidentified individual.
The voices in the videos described how the criminals double-crossed the victims with their vehicle, hauled them out into their waiting vehicle, and then raced away while dumping the victims’ automobiles.
The films showed masked gunmen instructing the victims to exit their automobiles and enter their waiting vehicles.
According to sources in the region, the gunmen fired into the air as they fled with the victims, and one of them stole the victims’ car.
One of the sources and a resident living around the Ifite-Amansea-Awka Road where two victims were taken away said, “It was a scary scene to behold. The hooded gunmen double-crossed the occupants of an SUV vehicle, shot into the air, and ordered them out and into their waiting vehicle, after which they immediately zoomed off. They left the SUV.”
In a statement issued on Sunday, Anambra State Police spokesman SP Tochukwu Ikenga stated that after reviewing the videos, the police responding team recovered the victims’ vehicles and implemented joint security measures and operational positioning to prevent similar incidents in the state.
Ikenga stated that manhunt and rescue efforts are still underway in the localities to rescue victims and apprehend assailants, as instructed by Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam.
He said, “Efforts are ongoing to arrest the assailants and rescue the victims of the abduction incidents on Saturday captured in a video along Ifite-Amansea Road, Awka.
“Meanwhile, the police responding team recovered the abandoned victim’s vehicle, and joint security measures and personnel positioning are already in place to forestall such or related incidents in the state.
“To this end, the CP charges the command tactical teams deployed to complement the joint security team to redouble their efforts to deprive the hoodlums of any space they desire to perpetrate their evil acts and vows that the police command shall leave no stone unturned in hunting down the assailants.
“Further development shall be communicated, please.”
