By Chidi Nkwokpora

OWERRI – Chairman of Aboh Mbaise local government area, Nze Charles Onwunali, has been kidnapped by dare-devil hoodlums.
He was abducted in his country home at Amuzu Nworie autonomous community.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the hoodlums, numbering about 15, stormed his home at noon, fired several shots into the air to scare away passersby and neighbours before going for Onwunali.

An eyewitness, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, confirmed that the hoodlums were all armed and wore bullet proof vests, adding that they shot sporadically into the air while the operation lasted.

The villager confirmed that no life was lost during the operation, but pointed out that an unfortunate citizen could have been killed by stray bullets.

It was also gathered that the orderly attached to the local council chairman was helpless, given the number of the gunmen that attacked them, and preferred calling for assistance from his superiors.

He affirmed that a police surveillance team arrived the scene of crime not long after the chairman had been forced into the booth of their get-away car and driven to unknown destination.

Vanguard recalls that Nze Onwunali was attacked several times by irate political thugs during the just concluded general elections for allegedly working hard to get all candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, elected.

When contacted on his mobile line, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Linus Nwaiwu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP, pleaded with Vanguard to give him some time to probe the report.