As if the abduction of their aged mother, Mrs Theresa Adaku Edid was not enough, the family received with consternation, a call from their mother's abductors that she died while in their custody. This is however, a month after the family parted with a ransom of N1million to her abductors.
Again, as if the death of the Mrs Edidi was not an enough for the family, her abductors, as learnt, called casually to inform the bereaved family that they had buried the old woman in the bush.
Mrs Edidi, according to her family members, returned from their farm on April 14, 2011 at dusk. After taking her super, she decided to rest in front of her compound, only for her worst fear to be announced by the screeching of tyres of a vehicle which stopped right in front of the compound.
Before she could fathom who the visitors were, four armed men reportedly rushed out of the vehicle, announcing their unwelcome presence with sporadic shots and thereafter made straight for where the old woman was sitting down, carried her into their vehicle before zooming off to an unknown destination,leaving a dusty haze which beclouded the environs.
Attempts by some of the villagers to rescue the old woman who was shouting desperately for help failed, as they were greeted with sporadic gun shots by the invaders.
Crime Alert learnt that the old woman apparently had premonition of her plight. That fateful day, she reportedly confided in one of her relatives that she sighted some of the bad boys who earlier threatened to abduct her around her vicinity. Perhaps, if preventive measures were taken fast, she would have averted the unexpected.
It was reliably learnt that a similar attempt to abduct her was prevented last year, as one of her sons, took her out of the village where she remained until late in the year.
One of her sons, Pharmacist Ediddi Micheal Chukwuemeka who spoke with Crime Alert, said he had lost sleep since he received news of his mother's demise in the kidnapper's den. He expressed fear over threat to his life and that of his siblings by the kidnappers whom he said kept bugging his phone with the aim of getting his exact location.
Some of the test messages said to have been sent by the kidnappers, sternly warned him and members of his family to stay clear of the village or risk losing their lives, boasting that nobody, be him a Policeman, military or government, would stop them from carrying out their threat.
In an emotion-laden voice, Pharm. Edidi Micheal stated, "When I spoke with my mum while in their custody and asked her how she was faring, she told me she was finding things difficult over there and pleaded that I should do all I could in order for her to get out of there."
He paused at this point and betrayed his emotion. But he was urged to go on by his cousins. Continuing, he said, " I managed to rally round and got N1million with a promise for them to release my mother in six hours but I waited in vain without any sight of my mum and when I called again, the phone was switched off.
"A month later, they called to inform that my mother was dead and that they have buried her and that my one million was gone. They said they were after me, my younger brother and his wife and threatened that they would clear the whole of my family.
They sent another text that one of the principal suspects would soon be a chief in the village and when he becomes a chief, we would be chased out completely from the village. I asked them what we have done but they did not state their reason."
The family's helpless situation seemed to be compounded by the inability of the Police in Imo state to fish out those behind their mother's kidnap and death. The family alleged that during the negotiation process, they approached the Imo state Police command, where they were asked to bring the sum of N200,000 for the purchase micro chips with which to locate the kidnapper's exact position.
This, Pharm. Micheal said, they did but never saw any green light from the side of the police, as they claimed there were not enough men to release for the operation.
Continuing, Micheal said, " each time we go to the police to say we know the suspects and where they were, they would tell us to leave them alone, saying after all our mother was old. I said yes even if she was old, at least she has children and also has a right to a fair burial by her children.
I don't have the power and guns to fight the kidnappers, I want the police to help us find out if she is dead and if yes, they should give me her body to bury. We have pleaded with the Police to investigate the call data profile but up till now, the call data profile has not been done.
"When I went to zone 9, same thing happened. It was not until one of my brothers introduced me to an anti-kidnappers team last month, that the team went into action. That was after the then Commissioner of Police was changed. The present one directed his men to go after the boys and in the process, one of the boys was arrested.
"These kidnappers are everywhere in the village. When they found out we have arrested one of them, they organized themselves with axes and machetes and attacked one of the villagers whom they suspected told the police and up till now, the Nigerian Police has done nothing to find out why that man was attacked and arrest the assailants.
Everybody in the village knows who attacked the young man but because of the threat by the kidnappers that they would kill anyone that exposes them, everyone is keeping sealed lips.
"These guys are so powerful and they are backed up by people who claimed they are politicians and have money and power. I am just a civil servant working for somebody and all the money I have worked for, I have spent on this issue trying to get justice. I do not want o take law into my hand. Since I was born till now, I have not committed any crime and I do not want to start it at this old age", said the 51- year- old man.
Continuing, he stated, "presently, I do not sleep. Everyday by 2am, I am up because I am afraid of my life. Most of my cell phones have been bugged by the kidnappers who keep calling all the time to know where I am. I can not go to the village neither can my siblings. I am therefore, calling on the Federal government to help us."
Following a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Hafiz Ringim , the Federal Anti-Robbery Squad, Adeniji Adele, Lagos, swung into action and arrested those suspected to be behind kidnapping and terror in Ohoba community. Their confessional statement, as reliably gathered, indicted a traditional council chairman in the area.
A native doctor said to have been arrested inside the bush where the old woman was suspected to have been kept reportedly gave the name of one of the abductors as Greg, whom he alleged always visited the old woman while alive in the bush.
It was reliably gathered that Madam Theresa was hypertensive. In fact, in one of the conversations between both the deceased, her sons and the abductors, the kidnappers reportedly requested for money for the woman's drug, an amount that was sent through N3000 recharge card.
Crime Alert reliably gathered that one of the arrested suspects, also fingered the Chief Security Officer of a serving governor in the eastern part of the country.
Apparently undeterred by the arrest, the kidnappers in their latest text to the Chukwuemeka family , sent through GSM number 07065254496, stated 'you are very lucky 2day. It's not over yet. come home lets see. Your Coward police is my friend."
Source: Vanguard
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