Kidnap Saga: IG Issues 24-Hour Ultimatum

Written by This Day Wednesday, 14 July 2010

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ogbonna Onovo yesterday gave kidnappers that abducted four journalists 24 hours to release them or face dire consequences.

The journalists are being held at an unknown destination in Abia State. The kidnappers are still demanding the sum of N250 million as ransom.

Onovo said the gunmen “have gone too far by kidnapping innocent journalists."
He issued the ultimatum when he went  to Abia State “to assess and evaluate the ongoing operations in the South-east to curb all forms of criminality,” especially the menace of kidnapping.

The IGP, who was accompanied by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) Zone  9 and the Police Commissioners of Abia, Enugu, Anambra and Imo states also paid a courtesy visit to Abia State Governor Theodore Orji.

The police boss briefed the governor on the operation being carried out by the police to free the journalists and their driver.
Onovo said the police would have to up the game in terms of dealing with kidnappers, since according to him, they have misread the normal method used by the force for tackling criminality as a sign of weakness.

“But since these criminal elements have decided to dare the might of the police, the might of the Federal Government, it has come to the point where we have to pay them back in their own coins," Onovo thundered.
The IGP added that the criminals "must face realities (and) surrender those weapons they have, surrender the victims they have in their custody and surrender themselves to the authorities now."

Onovo mentioned what he described as the “other aspect of the operation” and appealed for public understanding. He said that “in this operation we are going to inconvenience other people but you can’t make an omelette without breaking an egg.  I’m appealing to all the citizens of the South-eastern states to bear with us when the police begins the other aspect of this operation,” he said.

The IGP recalled that the police high command had recently deployed 10,000 policemen to the region code named “Operation Ihe” (operation light) in order to “search and destroy the criminal hideouts.”
 He regretted that in spite of the deployment of the additional policemen as well as anti-terrorist squad for search and rescue support, the expected result has not been achieved as yet.

 "There have been isolated cases of kidnapping due to some lapses. We are going to plug all loopholes to ensure that the people of the South-east get their freedom once more," he stated.
Onovo explained that the police is very conscious of their operations in a democratic environment and therefore must ensure accountability and responsibility.

In his response, Orji lamented that kidnapping has become the order of the day.  He said that the crime has become sophisticated and should not be allowed to get out of hand. He admitted that “it is going to take us some time to, at least get the techniques of fighting it and killing it. The criminalities have become complex. It needs technology also to fight kidnapping. They (kidnappers) cannot continue to embarrass us every time."

The Abia chief executive appealed to the kidnappers to release the journalists and stop inconveniencing their families and Nigerians.
He assured that the state government would do every thing possible to assist the police in finding the gunmen. He chided Obingwa Local Government  Area (LGA), where they were abducted, for becoming a haven for kidnappers.

Meanwhile, the abductors have insisted that they would not lower the ransom amount. While speaking to the National President of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Garba Mohammed yesterday, they said their demand of N250 million has not changed.
Although, Mohammed was able to speak to one of the journalists Wahab Oba, the kidnappers made it known that they would not be released until the money is paid.

Oba who is the Chairman Lagos State Council of NUJ, Secretary of Zone G Adolphus Okonkwo, Acting Secretary Lagos State Council Sylvester Okereke and Sola Oyeyipo were abducted last Sunday along Ikot-Ekpene-Aba road on their way from Akwa-Ibom State after an NUJ function.

The kidnappers have been communicating with some officials of the NUJ since the incident occured. The journalists said they are in good condition. However, they are anxious to be released.