19-Year-Old Suspected Kidnapper Arrested in Anambra After Ransom Payment

A 19-year-old suspect, identified as Ifechukwu Ibesimako from Aboji Village in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State, has been arrested by the Anambra State Police Command on charges of kidnapping.

The arrest, carried out early Wednesday by operatives of the Oba Police Divisional Headquarters, followed the payment of a ₦200,000 ransom for the release of victims held captive by Ibesimako and his accomplices.

According to SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, three other members of the gang were also apprehended during the operation, and two female victims, aged between 15 and 19, were rescued.

Preliminary investigations revealed that Ibesimako and his gang lured their victims through social media by proposing friendship before holding them hostage and demanding ransom from their families. SP Tochukwu further disclosed that the arrest of the suspect and his accomplices exposed additional criminal activities by the gang, including a previous case where another female victim was kidnapped, ransomed, and released months ago.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Nnaghe Obono Itam, urged youths to exercise caution when engaging with strangers on social media. He also directed the immediate transfer of the suspects to the Command’s Anti-Kidnapping/Robbery Squad for further investigation.