Imo Student Kidnaps Course-mate, Collects N3.2m Ransom

By Joshua Chibuzo Andrew, Owerri

A student of Ezeala College of Nursing Science, Okwudo in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State, Oluchukwu Chukwuma is cooling his feet in police custody for allegedly kidnapping his course-mate and collecting a ransom of N3.2million.

Newsmen were told that 27-year-old Chukwuma (aka Romeo), a course representative at the college lured his course-mate, Ikechukwu Ezeala to their hideout in Oforola Community, Owerri West LGA.

According to the police spokesman in the state, ASP Henry Okoye, on reaching Avu junction along the Port Harcourt-Owerri Expressway, Chukwuma’s gang member, Izuchukwu Onyewuchi took them to the bush in Oforola Community.

Okoye disclosed that at the bush, Chukwuma handed over Ezeala to one Charles Chibueze Nnaji after which negotiation for ransom commenced.

The police spokesman said the suspects initially demanded a ransom of N15million, adding that the family of the victim later paid N2million into a Fidelity Bank account number 6320856966 bearing Nwakuba Kingsley Osinanna on February 14, 2023.

Okoye added that another sum of N1.2million was also paid at Oforola Community to the hoodlums who refused to free their victim.

According to him, it was at this point that the telephone number used by the miscreants to demand for ransom was tracked, leading to their arrest.