Police officials in the Anambra State of Nigeria have neutralised a kidnap kingpin and detained some of his gang members at Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area.
The kingpin was identified as Chineda Ajogu, who was terrorising the state with his criminal gangs and is also known as Sampolo.
Tochukwu Ikenga, the state Police Public Relations Officer, stated the operation was based on the capture of the gang members, identified as Emeka.
Ikenga stated that Emeka led the police officers to the gang’s hideout point located at Oba town in the Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.
Based on intelligence assembled that showed the location of a kidnap victim in Neni town of Anaocha Local Government Area, police officials operating with the vigilante stormed the site on Sunday, 5 June and rescued the victim also captured Emeka, who was a suspect of conspiracy in the crime.
During interrogation, he admitted the crime and led the officers to the hideout place of other gang members in Oba, Idemili South LGA, where officers engaged them in a shoot-out.
The leader of the gang, Chinedu Ajogu (a.k.a. Sampolo), was encountered, and five others, including their local doctors, were also arrested.
Among the items that were recovered were one berretta pistol, one SMG rifle, two pairs of ESN flags, two berrets, two locally-made revolver pistols, one dagger, one Biafran flag, two web belts, two pairs of ESN uniforms, assorted charms and one Akura SUV snatched from a victim
He further added that police officer rescued four of the kidnapped victims aged between 40 to 60 years.
The police also highlighted that the accused, including a local doctor captured in connection with the murder of a lawmaker, are presently in custody and are being questioned to extract more information regarding their involvement in earlier crimes.
