Kidnappers of chief in Ndele community in the Emeoha Local Government Area of Rivers State who was abducted and freed last week, have emptied his bank accounts.
The victim
Chief Goodluck Umetor, a community leader in Ndele village in the Emeoha Local Government Area of Rivers State, who was kidnapped and freed last week, has disclosed that his captors warned him not to block his bank accounts.
According to a report by PUNCH Metro, the victim who was kidnapped around 10pm on April 2, 2018, said the kidnappers vowed to come after him again should he disobey their directive not to block his bank accounts.
The village chief who was inflicted with machete cut injuries, said the kidnappers vowed to be withdrawing money at will from his bank accounts, adding that the gunmen dragged him into a forest after blindfolding him.
Umetor who disclosed that he was forced to trek a long distance before they got to the kidnappers’ hideout, said the hoodlums seized his four Automated Teller Machine cards, which they used in withdrawing huge sums from his banks accounts.
He also confirmed that his family gave the kidnappers N1m as ransom after they had emptied his bank accounts.
He said; “They warned me that I should not block the (bank) accounts and said that they would be withdrawing money at will. They said if I block the (bank) accounts that they will come after me again.
“The kidnappers also threatened to kill me if I try to give their identity to anyone. The gunmen took me on a journey inside a deep forest. They dragged me after blindfolding me and we trekked a long distance before we arrived their base.
“They said they were hired to assassinate me, but later changed their mind to collect ransom and free me. They inflicted machete cuts on my head, back and other parts of my body. They collected all my four ATM cards and sent somebody to go and withdraw money from my account before collecting additional N1m from my family,” Umetor recounted.
While speaking to correspondents, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Nnamdi Omoni, said the kidnappers released Umetor after they were put under pressure by the police.
He added that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Zaki Ahmed, had mobilised men for the unconditional release of the community chief.
He stated that some of the hoodlums involved in the dastardly act on Monday had been identified; adding that the police command would leave no stone unturned in its determination to arrest and bring them to justice.