The police in Akwa, Anambra State at the weekend rescued a three-year and eleven month old baby identified as Kamsi Okeke.
Kamsi, the daughter of Pastor Linus Okeke
of the Foursquare Church, Akwa, was reportedly rescued unhurt from the
kidnappers den, even as the police arrested persons suspected to be the
kidnappers.
It was reliably gathered that the police
engaged the suspects in a 30-minute exchange of gunfire when the police
attempt to rescue the victim.
The baby girl, it was further gathered, was kidnapped at her father’s residence around Ngozika Estate in Awka.
Sources said the suspects had demanded N15m from the parents but after a plea by the parents reduced it to N3m.
The Police Public Relations Officer in
the state, Okechukwu Ali, who confirmed the arrest of the suspects, said
the leader of the gang, a motor mechanic, James Akowe, had been a
family friend to the victim’s family, adding that upon interrogation, he
confessed to the crime.
Okechukwu disclosed that the gun battle
with the kidnap suspects was fierce and a suspect was wounded before
they were arrested, adding that the police have intensified efforts to
arrest other fleeing members of the gang.
“It
was not an easy battle with the kidnap suspects around Nteje, Oyi Local
Government Area of the state, where they kept the small girl but
nothing happened to our men.”
Speaking with our correspondent, the
parents of the victim, Pastor and Mrs. Linus Okeke, commended the men of
the SARS in the state for rescuing their daughter without paying any
ransom to the suspects. the victim’s father, said, “We feel relieved, we
feel alive again, we almost became dead persons, we can sleep and give
thanks to God for keeping our daughter alive.”
The police image maker said the suspects
would be charged to court on completion of investigation adding that it
would no longer be business as usual for criminals in the state.
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