Posted by By DAVID ONWUCHEKWA, Nnewi on
If not for mother luck, Mr. Sunday Ezeobiora, chairman/managing director of Sunny Vespa International (Nig) Limited, based in Nnewi, Anambra State would have swollen the ranks of kidnapped persons East of the Niger in the last few months.
•Mother luck saves man, as kidnappers snatch his friend instead
If not for mother luck, Mr. Sunday Ezeobiora, chairman/managing director of Sunny Vespa International (Nig) Limited, based in Nnewi, Anambra State would have swollen the ranks of kidnapped persons East of the Niger in the last few months.
Ezeobiora told Daily Sun that one of his apprentices who had served him for five years had hatched a kidnap plan, but failed when the kidnapperes mistakenly kidnapped his business associate, Mr Ucheson Mary.
According to Ezeobiora, the apprentice, who comes from the same community in Anambra with him would be due to be settled in December. He said that his boy had liaised with kidnappers to pick him up so that he could pay them millions of naira as ransom.
He said that the suspect was hoping to pay back from his share of the ransom the N2.8 million he had allegedly misappropriated at a branch of his business he was in-charge as manager.
The unlucky Mary, Daily Sun learnt was said to have subsequently paid N2 million ransom to regain his freedom from the kidnappers after a few days in captivity, from which the suspect was allegedly given N250, 000 as his own share, according to a confessional statement made to the police.
'The story circulating around me is true. One of my branch managers, (names withheld) wanted to kidnap me as a result of N2.8 million he mismanaged at his branch.
'I asked him to account for the money at the end of the year (2007), but he could not explain what transpired. I called his family to talk to him but there was no result," Ezeobiora recounted.
He said he went to Nnewi Area Command to lodge a complaint in order to recover the N2.8 million, which led to the arrest of the suspect.
Ezeobiora said it was in the course of interrogation that the police discovered that his servant attempted to kidnap him.
On how he escaped the kidnappers' trap he said: 'A day before they kidnapped my friend, Ucheson Mary, they came for me. However, as God would have it, I was in hospital to see Professor M.C. Nwosu, and I came back late that night. So, they couldn't get me. Then they decided to go for my friend, Ucheson Mary. That was what happened."
Ezeobiora commended the efforts of the Police Area Commander in charge of Nnewi, Mr D.P. Yakadi, and his team for the intelligent way they were able to unearth the hidden truth from the suspect and his co-kidnappers.
The three-man kidnapper gang were said to have been arrested, while others are still on the run as the case has been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) for further investigation.