The Delta State Police Command has said that they have obtained a database on the 10-man gang that kidnapped Professor Kanene Okonjo, the mother of Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the Minister of Finance in Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State about 3 weeks ago.
However, two suspected members of the gang narrowly escaped being arrested by teams of policemen and the State Security Service, SSS, from Abuja during a manhunt for them during the week.
The Commissioner of Police in Delta State, Mr Ikechukwu Aduba confirmed these details, though he didn’t give further details on the manhunt for tactical reasons.
The dossier on the kidnappers was obtained from the recovery of the GSM handset of the gang leader, Nwaeze Nwosa, a.k.a Bolaji, who was shot dead by the police in Asaba.
Aduba said that Bolaji had made over 500 calls with the handset in relation to Prof Okonjo’s kidnapping. They were using the numbers as leads to track down other gang members.
An unnamed source said that the police was confident they would nab the kidnappers based on the information available.
It is alleged that a ransom of between N10m and N11m was paid, although the security agencies were not cooperative with each other as they hoarded information.
For instance, the police commissioner categorically said that the police was neither aware of nor would the encourage the payment of a ransom when he was addressing newsmen on December 14, the day the octogenerian was released.
But unconfirmed reports said that part of the ransom money was marked, and it led to the arrest of one of the kidnappers as he went to deposit the money in the bank.
Nwosa had been shot and killed as he attempted to escape through the fence when policemen stormed his apartment in Asaba. He had been previously charged to court for the kidnap and murder of Obilink, a petroleum business tycoon in Asaba, and was granted bail.
Aduba said that the killing of Nwosa caused his gang members to flee, as there was confusion in their camp. It also caused the people of the area to erupt in wild jubilation.
The Police boss said that the police was not sleeping on kidnap cases, even those involving hostages who have already been freed.
“For example, we’re still trailing the kidnappers of the mother of Hon Ndidi Elumelu of the House of Representatives, despite the fact that she has been released. We’ve information that one of the kidnappers is intending to travel out of the country and we’re keeping our eyes on him.”
Meanwhile, the SSS has sent a team from Abuja which has stormed Asaba on the trail of the kidnappers of Prof Okonjo.
An informed source said that details of their investigation could only be released from Abuja, but gave the assurance that the SSS was not sleeping on the case.
A visit to the palace of the monarch of Ogwashi-Uku, Prof Chukwuka Okonjo, showed that the monarch was yet to return the palace. He had been away when his wife was abducted.
Men of the Customs Service were keeping vigil when the house was visited.