BREAKING NEWS: "WHY WE KIDNAPPED OUR FATHER" ... By 2 brothers who kidnapped their father in Anambra State.

Two brothers, who were arrested by police in Anambra State for allegedly conspiring with others to kidnap their father, said the father has money that he does not want them to enjoy.

The act was allegedly committed last month ahead of Christmas and New Year festivities.

Obinna and Ifeanyi Onwukamuche Michael said they were worried that Christmas and New Year were fast approaching and they had no money to celebrate.

They said they decided to arrange for their father’s kidnap “to get some money from him”.

The duo, who spoke from their cell at a police facility in Awka, the Anambra State capital, declined to provide more details.

However, a family source who pleaded anonymity told this reporter that when Pa Onwukanuche Micheal was kidnapped at Ojoto, a report was immediately made to the police by the family.

“Almost immediately, his two children came telling the family that they had met with the kidnappers; and they said money should be paid to secure his release.

“We said since a complaint had already been lodged with the police, let us tell the police the development; but they objected to the arrangement insisting that money should be given to them to go and give to the kidnappers.

“But we had to brief the police who used their tricks to get the truth and arrest them,” the source said.

They were arrested by detectives from the state police command. Obinna was the first to be arrested. He allegedly admitted to the police that he and Ifeanyi had knowledge of the kidnap of their father but that only Ifeanyi could lead them to where the father was being held.

The state Commissioner of Police Mr Balla Nasarawa, who confirmed the incident, said not long after Obinna’s elder brother, Ifeanyi, was arrested by the police, the victim was rescued without a payment of any ransom.

The commissioner said the two brothers had admitted planning and executing the kidnap of their father for money in collaboration with two others who are still on the run. He said the fleeing suspects would be arrested and prosecuted.

The police command is also handling other cases of kidnapping. One of them came when they got a distress call from Abagana Division that a syndicate of suspected kidnappers had kidnapped one Ebele Okechukwu, the manager of NNPC sub-station Amawbia Roundabout by Enugu/Onitsha Expressway, alongside his friend.

“The victims were allegedly kidnapped along Onitsha/Awka old road while returning from a burial ceremony at Ogidi. The bandits took them away in a dark Jeep and abandoned one red caravan ambulance vehicle with registration number AR 402 AWK and an inscription ‘Ebe-ano paradise ambulance services – phone no. 08056530201’. Patrol team, led by DCO Abagana, raced to the scene and commenced raid of suspected criminal hideout with a view to locating the victims and possible arrest of the perpetrators,” Mr Bala Nasarawa said.

The commissioner, who expressed concern over the involvement of youths in criminal activities in the state, also disclosed several cases of criminal activities involving youths that the state command has uncovered.

For instance, he said, the police, in collaboration with vigilante men from Uli area of the state, have arrested a 25-year-old student of Anambra State University Uli, Augustine Onuorah of Abba village, with a locally made pistol and live cartridge.

Augustine is suspected of belonging to a robbery gang that was in the process of robbing one Prince Benneth Ofondu when the police stormed the area and arrested him. The other suspected members of the gang escaped.

The commissioner said the suspect had made confessional statement to the police naming other members of the suspected gang.

“Few days ago, we got a distress call here in Awka that armed robbers had entered a students’ hostel at Ifite Okpuno in Awka and were robbing them. A patrol team from ‘B’ Division Awka rushed there and arrested Arinze Olisa and Emeka Okoye and recovered students’ laptops and cell phones that were (snatched).

“Other items recovered from the suspects include: one double barrel gun with two live cartridges and other (stolen) items. The team also recovered one Toyota Camry car with registration number Lagos HW 752 AAA allegedly abandoned at Dlimit Hotel Awka by a fake Army officer called Captain Brown, a lodger in the hotel now at large,” the commissioner added.

“One of our patrol teams from the Central Police Station (CPS) Awka chased and apprehended one Chizoba Nweke, aged 20, and Ifeanyi Nnaemeka, aged 19, alias Nwachinaemere, with bullet injuries, having snatched a motorcycle with registration number QP 952 NSK at gunpoint from one Sunday Nweke along Nwafia/Awka old road. One cut-to-size gun was recovered from them, while others escaped with the motorcycle.

“On the same day they were arrested, the suspects led SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) operatives to Nkpor where one of their accomplices, named Chikezie Madueke, was also apprehended and the snatched motorcycle recovered from him. The suspects confessed to being members of the armed robbery syndicate that regularly blocks Enugu-Agidi Junction by Enugu/Onitsha Expressway and Nawfia/Awka old road. They further confessed to several armed robbery operations within the area,” he said.

The commissioner also said his men from Ogidi Division carried out a raid on criminal hideouts at Umusiome, Nkpor, near Onitsha, and arrested one Chukwuebuka Odogwu, aged 26, and Anwulobi Chukwunonso, aged 17, and recovered two locally made pistols, one locally made revolver pistol, one locally made double barrel gun, two live and two expended cartridges from them.

He said the suspects, in their voluntary statements to the police, had admitted involvement in series of armed robbery operations within the state.