Soldiers nab kidnappers in Aba

Soldiers attached to the 144 Battalion under the 14 Brigade headquarters of Nigerian Army in Ohafia, Abia State, have reportedly arrested three members of a kidnapping gang operating in Aba, the state’s commercial and its environs.

The soldiers, our reporter gathered, also rescued a yet-to-be identified victim who was said to have been trapped inside the boot of the car driven by the gang.

They were also said to have recovered a cache of ammunition and guns the hoodlums allegedly used for the operation.

It was learnt that the incident, which occurred on the busy Waterside Bridge on the Aba-Ikot Ekpene Expressway, took passers-by by surprise. The victim was reportedly snatched after he left one of the new generation churches in Aba.

Luck was said to have run out on the hoodlums when they were heading towards the outskirts of the commercial city and the soldiers, spurred by their hunch, asked the driver of the Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) to pull over.

A source, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, said the resistance of the gang members to the soldiers caused a traffic gridlock.

The soldiers were said to have called for reinforcement and forced the gang members out of the car.

In the process, some of the suspected kidnappers were injured.

After overpowering the gang, the soldiers reportedly forced the boot of the car open and saw the victim trapped in it.

The victim was said to have been rescued and the suspected kidnappers whisked away.

A source at the army battalion, who pleaded not to be mentioned, confirmed the incident.

The source said the victim had been reunited with his family while the suspects were being interrogated.

The soldiers pledged to make the outcome of their investigation public as soon as they conclude investigation into the matter.

Source: The Nation