Four kidnappers escape police custody in Ebonyi

Four kidnappers flee from police custody.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner of Police, Mr Titus Lamorde, said on Friday that four kidnap suspects escaped from the command’s custody in Abakaliki, on the night of October 22.

He gave the name of the fleeing suspects as Ogonna Alioke, Friday Nwangbo, Emeka Nwangbo and Ekene Omenyi.

Larmode said that they were detained for allegedly kidnapping and killing one Mrs Catherine Okorie, at her home in Egba-Amanye community, Ivo Local Government Area of the state, and had demanded a N10 million ransom from her family.

He however, blamed the officers on duty for their negligence, saying the command regretted it.

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He said, “The five officers on duty that period are currently in detention assisting in investigations which is the only way to actually ascertain those that aided the escape.

“The insinuation that a top politician in the state masterminded the escape is unfounded and we assure the public that we will get to the root of the matter.”

He added, “We are assuring you that they have limited time to be arrested. Our investigators are currently working assiduously toward that.

“Some of them are presently in a neighbouring state and we have information on where one of the escapees is currently hiding.”

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Larmode said also that the command arrested other suspects in connection with alleged armed robbery, pipeline vandalism, including killers of a student of the Ebonyi State University (ABSU), Abakaliki.

One of the suspects paraded for the alleged killing of the EBSU student, denied involvement the act, saying he was only a roommate to a fleeing suspect.

“I was in my room when the police came for a search and they found a gun inside the bag of my roommate,” he said.