The council chairman of the Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, Mr Emmanuel Ajah, has confirmed presently the arrest of eight kidnappers, that mastermind the murder of the staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Emmanuel Igwe, along Ishiagu-Mpu road last Sunday.
Recalling that the suspected kidnappers abducted the wife of the victim and slaughtered the father of Ohanaeze youth leader, Ajah Okeafor, who was harvesting yams on his farmland.
Ajah, who spoke to newsmen in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Sunday, revealed that Igwe’s wife was rescued unhurt after paying a ransom to the kidnappers.
He noted that the kidnappers were tracked to their hideout and apprehended through the joint effort of security agencies.
“The kidnappers who killed INEC staff last Sunday and abducted his wife, and also butchered the father of Ohaneze youth leader, Ajah Okeafor, have been arrested,” he said.
Ajah added that the kidnappers were seen with Fulani herdsmen and some bad boys from the Lonkpanta community and were tracked after collecting the ransom.
“We didn’t sleep since that incident happened, the kidnappers demanded ransom, and we gave it to them. We tracked them to their hideout through the joint efforts of the security agencies and my men. We have apprehended eight of them, and we are still searching for the remaining two, who are the major kingpin,” he added.
He revealed that the arrested suspects are responsible for the various kidnapping incidents in the council area and vowed to mobilize security operatives to raid their hideout as a way to forestall further occurrences.
He called on the indigenes of the council to desist from conspiracies and every connection to commit crime as “no one will be spared” and urged them to give the police useful security information that will lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspects.