BY TONY EDIKE
ENUGU— Enugu State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed the arrest of a Port Harcourt-based businessman, Mr. Uche Oshaba, and one Uche Odo over alleged kidnap attempt at Ogrute in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area of Enugu State.

Eye-witnesses said one of the suspects, Odo had stopped to greet his friend, Oshaba, at the ABG Filling Station at Ogrute, weekend, when some plain- clothes policemen arrested them and took them to Enugu.

They were said to be carrying another suspect who reportedly denied knowing Uche Odo as a member of the gang.
A lawyer, who was said to be discussing with the two suspects, was also arrested but released when he identified himself to the detectives.

However, operatives of the anti-kidnap squad of the police command made the arrest which reportedly caused a stir at Umuida junction of the Enugu-Ezike- Nsukka road as  some market men and women ran helter-skelter, following sporadic shooting by the policemen, who sped off thereafter.

Policemen are, however, claiming that Odo had been on their wanted list of kidnappers in Nsukka area, an allegation said to be doubted by the suspects’ kith and kin.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed the arrests when contacted on the development yesterday saying that the suspects were picked up for questioning in connection with some kidnap cases reported in the area in recent times.

He told Vanguard that the arrest was made by the command’s anti-Kidnap Squad and not by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS who reportedly stormed the wedding venue in search of the suspects.

According to him, “the Port Harcourt-based businessman (Oshaba) was arrested along with one Odo over alleged kidnap attempt,” revealing that Odo had already made useful statements regarding his role in the incident.

The police spokesman, however, assured that the businessman would be released if exonerated by ongoing investigations into the matter but warned that any attempt to disrupt investigations into the heinous crime would not be tolerated by the command.