By Chukwuemeka Opara
The Commissioner of Police (CP), Ebonyi Command, Mr Titus Lamorde, said on Friday that four kidnap suspects escaped from the command’s custody in Abakaliki.
He named the 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.
According to him, the suspects had demanded a N10 million ransom from her family.
The commissioner said that the suspects escaped from the cell where they were kept on the night of Oct.22.
He blamed the incident on the negligence of the officers on duty, saying that the command regretted it.
“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,” the police boss said.
The CP assured the residents that the command had put in place a team of crack investigators who had spread their tentacles to ensure the immediate re-arrest of the suspects.
“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,” he said.
Larmode said also that the command arrested other suspects in connection with alleged armed robbery and pipeline vandalism.
According to Lamorde, they included the killers of a student of the Ebonyi State University (ABSU), Abakaliki.
“We are assuring Ebonyi people that we would continue to provide them with adequate security especially during the forthcoming yuletide.
“We will continue to solicit for useful information to achieve this objective while advising criminals still operating in the state, to relocate in their best interest,” he added.
One of the suspects paraded for the alleged killing of the EBSU student, denied complicity in 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. (NAN)
