From OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
Friday, October 15, 2010
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The Catholic Priest of St. Michael’s Parish, Umuezi, Mgboko, in Obingwa Local Government Area and the Transition Committee Chairman,Ukwa West Local Government Area, Chief Henry Nwokemgbede were among the over 100 persons so far arrested by soldiers over alleged cases of kidnappings in Abia State, particularly, in Aba, the commercial nerve centre.
The arrests were made in the past two weeks the soldiers had been in operation in the area. Disclosing this while conducting newsmen round some dislodged camps of the kidnappers at Umuezi, Obingwa Local Government and Asa in Ukwa West Local Government, the Assistant Army Public Relations Officer, 82 Div., Enugu , Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said the cleric was arrested over strong evidence that linked him with the crime.
He said that when soldiers stormed the camp of a kidnap kingpin simply called Susu in Umuezi, it was discovered that the priest did not only lease out part of his official quarters to the kidnappers, he also converted the church building to a rest house for the hoodlums.
According to him, “the Revd Father allegedly aided the boys who were into kidnapping along the Obingwa axis. To prove the point, when a search was conducted in his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) parked inside his compound, five expended live ammunition were recovered.
“Again the boys used the building next to his house and were coming to fetch water at his place since there was no water in the camp. Just behind the priest’s house were recovered several used live ammunition, two bank safes, and empty boxes of ammunition,” he said
At the entrance to the kidnappers’ camp within the church which was fortified with sandbags, was a signpost with the inscription: “Welcome to amnesty camp, Abia State – Let peace reign.”
Musa further said at Umuezi, a native doctor who specializes in making charms for the kidnappers to hypnotize their victims escaped into the bush.”
He said the Catholic Priest had been handed over to the SSS for proper interrogation, stressing that if found culpable, he would be punished according to the law. While the priest is still undergoing interrogation, the local government chairman who was also arrested about two weeks ago had been taken to court and remanded in prison custody.
The army PRO who said the exercise was ongoing and further arrests could be made, took journalists to Asa High School in the outskirts of the city where 21 assorted vehicles recovered from different forests were parked.
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