The Enugu State Government, Wednesday, demolished properties used by kidnappers for detaining their victims in the outskirts of Enugu, the State Capital.

Among the properties were an uncompleted storey-building with an underground tunnel at Nkwubor Layout in Emene Nike where a large cache of arms and ammunition were recovered and a large farm housing a poultry, piggery, and plantain plantation at Ogbeke Nike all in Enugu East LGA.

At Nkwubor Nike, 17 firearms were recovered, including eight AK47 riffles, seven pump action riffles, and two short guns, while two AK47 riffles were recovered at the Ogbeke Nike farm. Shrines, charms, and mini Indian hemp farms were also destroyed.

Security operatives had, following months of discreet investigation on the activities of the kidnappers, stormed the two hideouts, where they made the startling discoveries and rescued some victims after gun duels with the criminals.

Recall that the Enugu State Government had, in line with the Governor Peter Mbah Administration’s determination to eradicate crime and criminality in the State, announced its readiness to demolish properties being used for kidnapping purposes in line with Section 315 of the Criminal Code (Second Amendment) Law Cap. 30, Laws of Enugu State.

The said Section 315, which had been redundant since 2016 when it was so amended provides, “If the building or structure owned by the offender or any other person, who knows or ought to reasonably know that the building or structure is so being used for that purpose, the building or structure shall be demolished or forfeited to the State Government.”

Speaking to newsmen at the criminal hideout at Agu Ogbeke, Nike, Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, ECTDA, Uche Anya, said the demolitions were in compliance with the said law as directed by the government, stressing that there is no hiding place for criminals in the state.

“This government is determined to exterminate all manner of criminality. So, people were kidnapped and brought here, including the woman that was kidnapped near the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus.

“You can see the trouble we took to get here today. So, this has been ongoing. But after today, this place will never exist again in the manner you met it. That is why we are here to send a strong signal and we are also warning property owners not to come and tell us that they are in South Africa, China or Germany and do not know what is happening. Once your property or commercial entity is used for kidnapping or anything involving grievous bodily harm or threat, including attempted murder, we will come after you and your property,” he stated.

At Nkwubor, Emene, Nike, Anya told reporters, “The activities here were even more gruesome. You have seen the underground cell they built and covered it with a manhole. Ordinarily you will think nothing is happening there, but the eagle eye of the security in the course of doing their work detected that something was amiss, only to discover that there’s an underground where human beings are kept and we found their armoury, many AK47 riffles and other crazy equipments that no civilian is entitled to hold. But, today, it is has to go down as directed by the governor in accordance with the Laws of Enugu State,” he said.

The ECTDA Chairman said the government would in addition take over the properties and put them to good use, noting that the demolition is an ongoing process as more structures were already marked to go down.

“So, all these places will be taken over by the government and we can turn it into a children playground, garden, park or primary health care. But whoever thought he or she owned this place before this hour will no longer touch his or her foot here forever.

“Enugu State has an anti-kidnapping law, but beside that, the Criminal Code covers that whatever that deprives you of your liberty and leads to death is what the government cannot condone,” he concluded.

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

No fewer than seven daredevil kidnappers were early Wednesday morning August 21, 2024, gunned down by a crack team of Security Operatives in Ogbeke Nike area of Enugu State.

This is even as a  concerned citizen and senior member of the Bar, Chief Ani, has urged the Enugu State authorities to immediately activate the 2016 criminal law to  demolish all identified dens of kidnappers and hostage holding cells  in the  State.

A statement on Wednesday from the Enugu State Governor’s media team said about 30  kidnap kingpins have so far been neutralized in the last two weeks in  coordinated operations

Most of the neutralized kidnappers were, allegedly, members of the dreaded Autopilots armed group of the Simon Ekpa-led faction of the Indigenous peoples of Biafra IPOB.

The statement quoted Onochie Ezeh, SP, the leader of the Special Security Outfit detailed to go all out against the kidnappers as saying that the pre-dawn Wednesday’s operation was specifically launched at a large, but abandoned, poultry farm used as both a hide out and dumping ground for abductees.

Ezeh noted that Wednesday’s operation was part of a sustained and well coordinated onslaught against criminal elements who have been terrorizing Enugu residents for some time now.

“We have been on the trail of these kidnappers for more than three months now. They had been operating within the axis where they kidnapped their victims and kept them  at a large poultry farm in Ogbeke Nike until ransoms are paid.

“So, on a tip off from members of the public who suspected the strange movements in the area, and the accounts of some of the victims of these criminals, we swung into action.

“On sighting us, these men of the underworld opened fire on my men and we quickly retaliated and overpowered them with superior firearm.

“This is a gallant crack squad with the mandate to eliminate every form of threat to the State. We have recorded huge successes over the past months.

“You know our role is not to rush to the media to tell our story ,but to ensure that every citizen and resident of the state has peace .

“I can assure  you that we have already neutralized over seven criminal gangs who are mostly kidnappers and unknown gunmen.

“We are going after them .We are taking the battle to their door steps because the Governor said we should not come back home if we don’t completely rid the state of threats.

“So, we are on it. In fact, during our operations, we identified many criminal hideouts where kidnap- victims and dangerous weapons are kept.

“These places include the New Artisan Market, Akwute Community Akegbe-Ugwu, Mgbowo,Emene, Eke and Afa in Udi and some parts of Isi Uzo Local Government Area.

“During rescue operations, we were able to neutralize over 30 of the kidnappers and recovered guns and valuables”, the statement further quoted Ezeh as saying.

However, in the face of the harrowing experiences being faced by many residents as a result of the dastardly acts of kidnappers, most Enugu residents, according to the statement, have called on Governor Peter Mba to wield the big stick .

Chief Iheanacho, while addressing the media on Wednesday, on the security situation, noted that the 2016 criminal law of the state as amended empowers the Governor to demolish any structure found to be used for kidnappings operations .

“We cannot continue like this. Yes, beyond going after the criminals, the Governor must show both political and legal courage to go after properties being used as hostage-holding cells and bring them down irrespective of who the owners are.

“The state must deter these criminals and those enabling their access to such buildings. That is what justice is all about.

“It is justice to the kidnap-victims; justice to the family of the victims, and  justice to the society at large” the Governor’s media team statement quoted Chief Iheanacho as saying.

At the time of going to, a Government demolition squad was already at the Poultry premises bringing down every structure.