Cross River State Commissioner of Police (CP), Gyogon Grimah
The Police in Cross River state have nabbed a kidnap kingpin in Calabar popularly known as “Black” and three other gang members behind the foiled abduction of an ex- staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mrs. Caroline Bassey.
The former INEC staff was abducted on Saturday by unknown gun men at her residence at 28 Mathias Oje Avenue in Calabar Municipality with the assistant of her tenant (name witheld) who masterminded the kidnap with the gang members after giving them information regarding her (landlady) financial status as regards gratuity payment.
But the police in swift operation nabbed three of the fleeing gang members on Saturday, rescued the victim with the help of the youths at Njangachang community in Akamkpa Local Government Area of the state
while in the early hours of Sunday, November 5, in a shock early morning swoop, smoked out the kidnap kingpin (Black) at Daniel Ayongor street off Victory Way, Satalitte town in Calabar Municipality.
It was gathered that during a covert operation led by Superintendent of Police (SP) Chukwuma Ogini of the of Anti Cultism and Kidnapping Squad,(ACKS), Black the brain behind Saturday’s Kidnap was apprehended inside a ceiling in his girlfriend’s house in Satellite Town, Calabar amid panic and shock among residents of the area.
Confirming the arrest of Black to some newsmen, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Irene Ugbo said, it was a milestone breakthrough especially as there has been pockets of Kidnapping incidents in the metropolis.
According to Ugbo, the suspect went to take refuge at his girlfriend’s apartment at Satalitte town where he was arrested based on intelligence.
She said, “unknown to him (Black) , Ogini and his men were on his trail and at about 05:10 a.m this morning they swooped in on him, at his girlfriend’s apartment where he jumped into the ceiling in a bid to evade arrest before he was apprehended by gallant operatives from ACKS.
“He confessed to being the brain behind Mrs. Caroline Bassey’s kidnap and mentioned her tenant as the person who contracted him and his gang to kidnap the former INEC staff”.
Ugbo revealed that the said female suspect (tenant to Mrs. Bassey) has also confessed how she planned her landlady’s abduction with the kidnap syndicate led by Black.
Items recovered from the kidnappers arrested by the police on Saturday include a Toyota Highlander SUV belonging to the victim, a Toyota Corolla with no number plate , pump action, criminal charms amongst others.
Ugbo warned, “we still want to state that no kidnapper or criminal will breath well in Cross River. They must all leave our beloved peaceful state for good”.
