Uzordima Chukwudi, 29, was a lotto operator before he took to kidnapping, a trade he was into before he was arrested by the IGP Special Intelligence Response Team, led by CSP Abba Kyari.
Chukwudi was arrested alongside some other members of the group, including Joseph Chiaotu, aka Ejima, 21, Anozie Chinonso, 25 and 27-year-old Chukwuma Agim, who is a prison official, in connection with the kidnap of a woman in Imo State.
Speaking to journalists during the week, Chukwudi said he was studying Mechanical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State before he dropped out in his final year.
Chukwudi was arrested alongside some other members of the group, including Joseph Chiaotu, aka Ejima, 21, Anozie Chinonso, 25 and 27-year-old Chukwuma Agim, who is a prison official, in connection with the kidnap of a woman in Imo State.
Speaking to journalists during the week, Chukwudi said he was studying Mechanical Engineering at Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State before he dropped out in his final year.
He cried: “What led me into kidnapping was unfortunate.”
Chukwudi explained that the pressure to raise the bride price of his pregnant girlfriend lured him into the crime. He said, “My girlfriend is pregnant and I have been under pressure to pay her bride price but I had no money. She told me that since she became pregnant her mother had been ostracised by her fellow women in their village. The pressure was too much that I needed to look for money by all means.”
On how he came across the other suspects, Chukwudi explained that when the pressure became unbearable, he contacted two of his friends; Nnamdi, who is now in prison, and Chiboy, who later introduced him to Agim for the trade.
He said, “Agim, being a prison official, was the one making way for us whenever we approached a police check point but our first operation was not successful because the person we targeted escaped. But on the second operation, Chiboy went with a policeman and they kidnapped the woman.”
He said for his involvement in the deal and for taking food to the victim in the bush, he was given N100,000 as his share. He said, “Chiboy told me that he got only N1.1m from the woman but when we were arrested, the woman told us she paid N3m as ransom. The moment I got my own share, I gave my girlfriend part of it to start the preparation (for the wedding) while I went to the market to buy drinks. That was when I got a call from Agim and when I met him I was arrested.”
Agim, a prison official from Imo State who said he was lured into the trade by an inmate, Nnamdi, told journalists that even though he was able to buy clothes, settle his debts and fix his car with his N100,000 share in the ransom paid by the victim’s family, he regrets his involvement in the act.
He recalled that when he was posted to the Owerri prison, his mother, who was also serving in the prison, warned him to be wary of one inmate, named Vampire, and his friends so as not to get into trouble. He maintained that he was reluctant when Nnamdi approached him but that he later found the offer attractive.
He began, “I was in my final year student in Imo State University where I was studying Insurance. I was earning N43,000 monthly as a prison official and I was even thankful because I didn’t join the Service with a first degree.
“When I came for industrial attachment last year, our chief warder told us that there was a notorious kidnapper called Vampire who was arrested and would be brought to Owerri Prison. Early this year I met Nnamdi who was in the same cell with Vampire. Nnamdi first asked me to get him a phone and he offered me N3,000 but I refused. So, he met another officer who got him the phone. They kept pressurising me that they wanted us to be friends.
“So, one day, we sat behind the food store and they told me several stories about their escapade in kidnapping and I found it attractive. They told me they were rich people and they used to visit several popular bars in major towns in the South East and South South states and that when they observe rich people leaving the bar, they go after them and kidnap them.”
He said at the end of the conversation, they gave him a number and that with that he was able to link other members, including Chiboy, aka Eze Ekudeley, whom he called a big kidnapper, Ejima and Chukwudi.
He said they used to work with a policeman and that on the day they went to pick their victim, a woman, she wasn’t the main the target but she was traced to her house where she was picked.
“It was Nnamdi who called me to and look after the woman in the bush. I borrowed money from a friend and used it to buy food for the woman. I gave the food to Uzordima to give to the woman. I learnt the woman stayed for two days. I was given N100, 000 after the N1.1m ransom was collected. I bought clothes, settled my debt and fixed my car.
He said he was arrested few days after the operation. “It was Ejima who led them to me. I regret getting myself into this mess he lamented,” he added.
On his part, Ejima said his share of the ransom was N70,000, out of which he used N10,000 to buy shoes and clothes. “I don’t know how the police heard about what I did; they came after me and arrested me. I led the police to arrest the prison official and four other members of the gang, but we were unable to arrest Chiboy. He noticed the presence of the police and he attempted to escape. He ran into the bus and the police fired several shots at him but he wasn’t hit.
Chinonso, who also hailed from Imo State, said poverty led him into kidnapping. “All I was looking for was a little money to buy a bus on hire purchase because the one I had got spoilt. I met Ejima recently and I told him I needed assistance because I had no job. He promised he would help me.”
He explained that he participated in the kidnap and that his share was N100,000 but that he was arrested when he was about hiring a bus. “It was poverty that led me into this crime. I am a very poor person struggling for myself and my family. I have no one helping me and my mother is a very old woman. I pray this woman (the victim) and her family would forgive me," he said.
Chukwudi explained that the pressure to raise the bride price of his pregnant girlfriend lured him into the crime. He said, “My girlfriend is pregnant and I have been under pressure to pay her bride price but I had no money. She told me that since she became pregnant her mother had been ostracised by her fellow women in their village. The pressure was too much that I needed to look for money by all means.”
On how he came across the other suspects, Chukwudi explained that when the pressure became unbearable, he contacted two of his friends; Nnamdi, who is now in prison, and Chiboy, who later introduced him to Agim for the trade.
He said, “Agim, being a prison official, was the one making way for us whenever we approached a police check point but our first operation was not successful because the person we targeted escaped. But on the second operation, Chiboy went with a policeman and they kidnapped the woman.”
He said for his involvement in the deal and for taking food to the victim in the bush, he was given N100,000 as his share. He said, “Chiboy told me that he got only N1.1m from the woman but when we were arrested, the woman told us she paid N3m as ransom. The moment I got my own share, I gave my girlfriend part of it to start the preparation (for the wedding) while I went to the market to buy drinks. That was when I got a call from Agim and when I met him I was arrested.”
Agim, a prison official from Imo State who said he was lured into the trade by an inmate, Nnamdi, told journalists that even though he was able to buy clothes, settle his debts and fix his car with his N100,000 share in the ransom paid by the victim’s family, he regrets his involvement in the act.
He recalled that when he was posted to the Owerri prison, his mother, who was also serving in the prison, warned him to be wary of one inmate, named Vampire, and his friends so as not to get into trouble. He maintained that he was reluctant when Nnamdi approached him but that he later found the offer attractive.
He began, “I was in my final year student in Imo State University where I was studying Insurance. I was earning N43,000 monthly as a prison official and I was even thankful because I didn’t join the Service with a first degree.
“When I came for industrial attachment last year, our chief warder told us that there was a notorious kidnapper called Vampire who was arrested and would be brought to Owerri Prison. Early this year I met Nnamdi who was in the same cell with Vampire. Nnamdi first asked me to get him a phone and he offered me N3,000 but I refused. So, he met another officer who got him the phone. They kept pressurising me that they wanted us to be friends.
“So, one day, we sat behind the food store and they told me several stories about their escapade in kidnapping and I found it attractive. They told me they were rich people and they used to visit several popular bars in major towns in the South East and South South states and that when they observe rich people leaving the bar, they go after them and kidnap them.”
He said at the end of the conversation, they gave him a number and that with that he was able to link other members, including Chiboy, aka Eze Ekudeley, whom he called a big kidnapper, Ejima and Chukwudi.
He said they used to work with a policeman and that on the day they went to pick their victim, a woman, she wasn’t the main the target but she was traced to her house where she was picked.
“It was Nnamdi who called me to and look after the woman in the bush. I borrowed money from a friend and used it to buy food for the woman. I gave the food to Uzordima to give to the woman. I learnt the woman stayed for two days. I was given N100, 000 after the N1.1m ransom was collected. I bought clothes, settled my debt and fixed my car.
He said he was arrested few days after the operation. “It was Ejima who led them to me. I regret getting myself into this mess he lamented,” he added.
On his part, Ejima said his share of the ransom was N70,000, out of which he used N10,000 to buy shoes and clothes. “I don’t know how the police heard about what I did; they came after me and arrested me. I led the police to arrest the prison official and four other members of the gang, but we were unable to arrest Chiboy. He noticed the presence of the police and he attempted to escape. He ran into the bus and the police fired several shots at him but he wasn’t hit.
Chinonso, who also hailed from Imo State, said poverty led him into kidnapping. “All I was looking for was a little money to buy a bus on hire purchase because the one I had got spoilt. I met Ejima recently and I told him I needed assistance because I had no job. He promised he would help me.”
He explained that he participated in the kidnap and that his share was N100,000 but that he was arrested when he was about hiring a bus. “It was poverty that led me into this crime. I am a very poor person struggling for myself and my family. I have no one helping me and my mother is a very old woman. I pray this woman (the victim) and her family would forgive me," he said.
- Sadly, they are all going to court and heading to prison.
But will your girlfriend family come and collect bride price now that u are going to prison? Don't be pushed
ReplyDeleteBarry
This people are very funny. If police just catch arm robber or kidnapper they will just start given stupid excuse is either they are in it to pay there brothers school fee or in it bcos of bride price. Same old excuse everyday
ReplyDeleteNot an excuse, it's your occupation.
ReplyDeleteMmm see yourself now inside prison.nenyekutes@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteNadu in wazubia said kidnading kidnading lol, but to tell u true poverty is a root of all evil u can become criminal over night without u knowing what if doing till u are cut lol u will cry Satan ooo but to be serious our youths don't have job it will still lead to them some many evil thing wish the ppl who will surfer it is rich ppl , I wish government of this country can make a way for every one will engage him or her self in something doing so that crime will jot be much as it is now, but u that have 48k as ur month income ur of is greedy.
ReplyDeleteLol.. Tou are a lier jawe
ReplyDeletePls that's not a good reason jare
ReplyDeleteFrom one error to another! You got a woman pregnant out of wedlock and then you trsirted to kidnapping to pay her bride price. What foundation are you laying for the marriage if it ever happened?
ReplyDeleteDts nt enough excuse 2 involve in crime, nw u on ur own..inumidun
ReplyDeleteAll these young men! Always giving flimsy excuses, after being caught in a robbery act. They should face their trial.
ReplyDeleteU impregnated her and then forced yourself into that mess of having to meet up with her dowry.
ReplyDeleteCongrats dear.Ir girlfriend will moved ahead after d baby.
ReplyDeleteBride price indeed. You had it in you all long
ReplyDeleteWe all have one or two reasons to go out of our way but there is no excuse for being a criminal. Fools....
ReplyDeleteSee your life now. You will now learn the unlearned!
ReplyDeleteolutoscene1@gmail.com
#Olu,can you see?
No problem. Just pay the bride price in prison.
ReplyDeleteI laugh in Swahili, arrant nonsense & cheap evasive alibi, because you were too poor to pay bride price, wanted hired purchase cars, attractive kidnapping offer etc, you join a bad gang in kidnapping, where there are some legitimate businesses you refused to venture into that, it's a pity another man will marry the pregnant girlfriend that you see as the reason for to have joined kidnappers. Then for the rest accomplices your excuses are not tenable, in the holy scripture Quran there is a verse that says " Almighty God will not task a soul beyond his/her limit" you guys were in hurry to become rich but can you see the result now is jail term, infact they are looking at making a death sentence as a penalty for the kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteI laugh in Swahili, arrant nonsense & cheap evasive alibi, because you were too poor to pay bride price, wanted hired purchase cars, attractive kidnapping offer etc, you join a bad gang in kidnapping, where there are some legitimate businesses you refused to venture into that, it's a pity another man will marry the pregnant girlfriend that you see as the reason for to have joined kidnappers. Then for the rest accomplices your excuses are not tenable, in the holy scripture Quran there is a verse that says " Almighty God will not task a soul beyond his/her limit" you guys were in hurry to become rich but can you see the result now is jail term, infact they are looking at making a death sentence as a penalty for the kidnapping.
ReplyDeleteThat's not an excuse biko. Next???
ReplyDeletedec.16th@yahoo.com
Criminals everywhere
ReplyDeleteIfy
I feel pity for them but there is nothing i can do to help, don't ever let the situation of your environment to lead you to where you won't like to be. Be bold, hardworking and prayerful. God exists and He knows what you are passing through.
ReplyDeleteServes him right . Next time think twice before having sex with a woman you not yet ready to marry
ReplyDeleteYour girlfriend pushed you into kidnaping hope she will come and save you now that you are heading to the prison
ReplyDeleteb4 u venture in2 marriage, u need to know ur worth and stop d thought of robbing peter to pay paul...which is causing damage to some people while u smile and know that everyday 4 thief 1day 4 the owner..
ReplyDeletePoverty or pregnant girlfriend is not enough reason to go into kidnapping...and for the prison official, his own is a case of greed
ReplyDeleteSee reason, wen U know U ar nt ready why nt buy 50 CD and save ursef frm all ds ish...
ReplyDeletewho will save u from this now?
ReplyDeleteolutoscene1@gmail.com
#Olu,can you see?