A 3-year-eleven-months old baby, Okeke Kamsi, daughter of one Linus Okeke, a pastor of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Akwa, Anambra state, was over the weekend rescued by policemen in the state from suspected kidnappers.
Leadership reports that Kamsi was Wednesday, kidnapped at her father’s residence around Ngozika estate in Awka by the kidnap suspects who subsequently demanded N15 million from the parents of the victim and later lowered the figure to N3million when they pleaded with them.
All efforts by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) led by James Nwafor, to find her had been abortive. She, was however, reportedly rescued unhurt from the kidnappers’ den with four of the suspects arrested, after they (men of the SARS) allegedly engaged the suspects in a 30-minute gun exchange.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Okechukwu Ali, while confirming the arrest of the suspects, noted that the leader of the gang, a motor mechanic, James Akowe, had been a family friend to the victim’s family, adding that upon interrogation, he confessed to the crime including three other members of his gang.
Ali said, “It was not an easy battle with the kidnap suspects. The police engaged in the shooting spree around Nteje, Oyi Local Government Area of the state where they kept the small girl.
“None of our men sustained injuries. However, one of the suspects with serious bullet wound is currently receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.”
The PPRO, speaking further, said, “The kidnap suspects destroyed Kamsi’s father’s house with bullets. Three days after the girl was kidnapped, the suspects carted away her parents’ ATM cards and forced them to disclose their pin numbers before proceeding to the bank where they emptied their accounts.”
The victim’s parents, Pastor and Mrs. Linus Okeke reportedly commended the men of the SARS in the state for rescuing their daughter unhurt.
“We feel relieved, we feel alive again, we almost became dead persons; we can now sleep and give thanks to God for keeping our daughter alive,” they noted.
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