By Dennis Agbo

ABAKALIKI – Mrs. Mary Okereke, mother to Mr. Darlington Okereke representing Onicha/Ohaozara/Ivo Federal constituency in Ebonyi state has reportedly been abducted, weekend, by suspected gun-wielding kidnappers that stormed her village, Ugwulangwu in Ohaozara local government area of Ebonyi state.

When contacted by Vanguard today, the Federal lawmaker, Okereke confirmed the kidnap which he said took place on Saturday, adding however that the abductors are yet to make contacts with him or any member of the family.

Only last Friday, the Ebonyi Police command paraded five suspected kidnappers, claiming that it has conquered crime in the state. But the Command through its spokesman ASP Chris Anyanwu said that he has not officially been briefed on Mrs. Okereke abduction since it took place during the weekend but that their Men would have swung into action considering the personality involved.

Though details of the abduction were sketchy as at press time, impeccable source said Mrs. Okereke was kidnapped from her family compound in Ugwulangwu with ease.

Few weeks ago, mother to the Ebonyi state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dave Umahi was also kidnapped from their family house in Uburu, same Ohaozara council area but was released few days after.

Wives of political office holders in the state have also been abducted and released after ransom allegedly exchanged hands. Same thing happened to an Italian expatriate with Marlum construction Company who allegedly was released after a payment of N30m by the state government.

Interestingly, when the Ebonyi police command paraded the five suspected kidnappers on Friday before Okereke’s abduction on Saturday, the commands spokesman, Anyanwu said that the kidnappers had confessed to being the masterminds of almost all the recent kidnappings in the state. “We were able to burst the ring, trailing some of the kingpins to neighbouring Enugu state where they were arrested,” said Anyanwu

The paraded suspects were:  Chidi Obiefuna a.k.a Fela, an indigene of Ezeagu, Enugu state and a final year student of Chemical Engineering, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT); John Ezeani, Uchechukwu Okereke, Toochukwu Ogoh, and Michael Anoke of Okposi Ohaozara local government area of Ebonyi state.

One of the wounded kidnap suspects, Michael Anoke, from the same Ohaozara council area who accepted that he is a final year student of Mechanical Engineering at ESUT said he was led into the business by his friend, Chidi Obiefuna (Fela).

Anoke said that their last deal was very lucrative where he got three hundred thousands naira only as his own share of the ransom they got from their victim who was the Italian expatriate working with Marlum Construction Company in Abakaliki.