Posted by By Tony Edike on
THE Enugu State Police Command has declared three persons wanted in connection with the abduction of a 39 year-old lawyer and former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) House of Representatives candidate for Aninri, Awgu and Oji River Federal Constituency, Mr. Philip Okafor.
ENUGU - THE Enugu State Police Command has declared three persons wanted in connection with the abduction of a 39 year-old lawyer and former All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) House of Representatives candidate for Aninri, Awgu and Oji River Federal Constituency, Mr. Philip Okafor.
The police said the suspects were members of a six-man gang, some of whom have fled to South Africa following the abduction of the lawyer feared to have been killed.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Enugu, Mr. Michael Abattam, said two of the suspects were brothers and hail from Amosibe Village, Nsude Town in Udi Local Government Area of the state.
"The wanted persons were last seen on August 27, 2005 by 9p.m. when they whisked away the said Philip Okafor from New Haven, Enugu to an unknown destination," the police spokesman said, adding that anybody with useful information as to the whereabouts of the suspects or the victim should contact the State Criminal Investigation Department, State Police Headquarters, Enugu or the nearest Police Station.
The abduction of the lawyer on August 26, 2005 has remained a puzzle to the Okafor family of Obodo Akpu, Agbogugu, in Awgu local government area of Enugu State and the police, as they could not ascertain the motive behind the abduction. Okafor, who was also resident in South Africa, had returned to the country to contest the 2003 elections into the House of Representatives and had since remained in the country.
Mr. Izuora Okafor, younger brother of Philip, told Vanguard that his elder brother's driver, Mr. Emeka Ogbu, called him that fateful day and informed him that one Tony invited Philip to a meeting in an Hotel in Enugu.
According to Izuorah, on arrival at the hotel, Philip sent his driver to go and buy a recharge card for him, but on his return, his boss, Philip, was said to have been taken away by some three men to an unknown destination in an "E" Class Mercedes Benz car.
Izuora further said that "at about 3 a.m. two men whom Driver Ogbu said he could easily identify, returned to the hotel and requested him (Ogbu) to follow them with Philip's laptop, on the pretext that it was his boss' instruction.
On getting to the New Market area, the men stopped their Honda Legend car, ordered Ogbu out at gunpoint, and forced him into the booth of their car.
Ogbu was said to have successfully manipulated the booth from inside, opened it, and jumped out. After several summersaults during which he sustained bruises, he rose and quickly scampered into the bush for safety. He found his way back to their Independence Layout residence in Enugu in the early hours of the following day.
"After getting the report from Ogbu, I reported a case of kidnapping to the New Haven Police Station but on August 29, 2005, the case was transferred to the State CID, Enugu and investigation into the matter continued with a serious manhunt on the principal suspects who we learnt have since escaped to South Africa from where they came to commit the crime," Izuora said.
He, however, appealed to the state and federal government as well as public spirited individuals to assist in unraveling the mystery behind "this dastardly act, saying the Okafor family and friends of the victim were already in pensive mood as they could not ascertain the fate of Philip two weeks after his abduction.
Meanwhile, the police have sought the assistance of the Interpol to apprehend the suspects said to be residing at No. 6 New Orleans Honey Dew Residential Estate, Emaly H06, House Honey Dew 200 in the Republic of South Africa.