Gunmen kidnap businessman, banker

Unidentified gunmen on Saturday kidnapped a popular Igbo businessman, Mr. Ifeanyi Okoli a.k.a. Ify-Bosco, in Ilorin, Kwara State and an employee of Zenith Bank Plc, Miss Florence Oche, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Okoli was reportedly kidnapped in his hotel located along New Yidi Road by the gunmen, who disguised as lodgers. THE PUNCH learnt that the victim was in the hotel when the suspected kidnappers approached him, brought out guns and shot into the air to scare people away.

The suspected kidnappers swiftly bundled him into a waiting vehicle and zoomed off to an unknown destination. Some bystanders and employees of the hotel unsuccessfuly tried to stop the gunmen from taking Okoli away.

A close associate of the victim said the suspected kidnappers reached one of the businessman’s friends and demanded N200m as ransom. There was an unconfirmed report on Sunday evening that the victim was dropped off at a spot on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway but the conditions of his release could not be ascertained.
Confirming the incident, the President-General of Igbo Community Association, Kwara State, Sir Truelove Njoku, said the matter had been reported to the police. He added that the Igbo community also held prayers in all churches of the Anglican Communion in the state capital on Sunday for his release.

Attempts to speak with the Public Relations Officer of the state police command, Mr. Ezekiel Dabo, on the development failed as neither responded to calls to his phone nor an SMS.

Meanwhile, Oche was kidnapped along with an acquaintance, Mr. Obinna Nosike, as they rode in a Range Rover jeep with registration number Abuja BL 721 KWL along Ilom Street in Woji area of Port Harcourt. The gangsters were said to have taken them to an unknown destination in the jeep.

Nosike was able to escape while Oche’s whereabouts could not be ascertained.

The spokesperson of the state command, Dr. Rita Inoma-Abbey, who confirmed the incident on Sunday, said the vehicle had been recovered while efforts were on to locate the victim. She stated that the jeep, which was involved in an accident as the kidnappers took the banker away, was recovered from the spot on Igbo Eche Road in the Rivers State capital.

“The hoodlums numbering about four were armed with AK-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons and were operating in a Toyota Camry saloon car. The bandits kidnapped Oche and Nosike and also made away with the vehicle. However, Nosike eventually escaped from them while they went away with the banker,” Inoma-Abbey stated.