The Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi State, Titus Lamorde, said on Friday that four kidnap suspects escaped from the command’s custody in Abakaliki. He named the suspects as Ogonna Alioke, Friday Nwangbo, Emeka Nwangbo and Ekene Omenyi. Mr. Larmode said that they were detained for allegedly kidnapping and killing Catherine Okorie at her home in Egba- Amanye community, Ivo Local Government Area of the state. According to him, the suspects had demanded a N10 million ransom from her family.
The commissioner said that the suspects escaped from the cell where they were kept on the night of October 22. He blamed the incident on the negligence of the officers on duty, saying that the command regretted it. “The five officers on duty that period are currently in detention assisting in investigations which is the only way to actually ascertain those that aided the escape.
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“The insinuation that a top politician in the state masterminded the escape is unfounded and we assure the public that we will get to the root of the matter,” the police boss said. The police chief assured the residents that the command had put in place a team of crack investigators who had spread their tentacles to ensure the immediate re-arrest of the suspects. “We are assuring you that they have limited time to be arrested. Our investigators are currently working assiduously toward that.
“Some of them are presently in a neighbouring state and we have information on where one of the escapees is currently hiding,” he said.
Mr. Larmode said also that the command arrested other suspects in connection with alleged armed robbery and pipeline vandalism. According to Mr. Lamorde, they included the killers of a student of the Ebonyi State University, ABSU, Abakaliki
. “We are assuring Ebonyi people that we would continue to provide them with adequate security especially during the forthcoming yuletide.
