By Ikechukwu Odu
Nsukka – Few days after eight labourers died at Igogoro community, uneasy calm has returned again at Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State as gunmen have allegedly kidnapped younger brother of a former Commissioner for Environment in Enugu State and All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain, Chief Fidel Ayogu, identified as Nathaniel Ayogu.
Nathaniel was said to have been whisked away from his family house yesterday at Egu- Ego Umuopu, community and taken to the bush by the gunmen . One Godwin Uramah Eze, who tried to prevent the abduction of the victim, was shot in the stomach.
Eze, was rushed to the Bishop Shanahan Hospital, Nsukka, where doctors were trying to save his life at the emergency section of the hospital at the time of filing this report.
The spokesman of Enugu State Police Command, Ebere Amaraizu, who confirmed the incident said officers of the command are working assiduously to rescue the victim.
Sources told Vanguard that Nathaniel was with Eze, in his family house when armed hooded men scaled the fence from the backyard and invaded the house.
It was alleged that when the marauders entered the house and tried to abduct Nathaniel, Eze tried to foil the bid, making them to shoot him on the stomach.
As at the time of this report, the state Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Balarabe, had mobilised policemen from Enugu Police Command who had joined forces with their counterparts at Igbo-Eze North Police Division, Ogrute, and were working round the clock to rescue Nathaniel.
According to the family source, “The kidnappers have called us to demand N5 million ransom. They said that Nathaniel will be killed if we don’t bring the ransom. Nathaniel was taken into the bush by his abductors, who were masked,” the source told Vanguard.
The Local Government Chairman, Comrade Uwakwe Ezeja and the Secretary to the Local Government, Mr Hilary Ogili among other top officials of the council were still at the local government lodge monitoring the situation at the time of filing this report .
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