BY RAYMOND OZOJI, Awka
Barely three weeks to the rescue of two siblings from kidnappers and recovery of stolen vehicles around Nkwelle-Ezunaka axis of Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State, the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) has rescued another kidnap victim along Nri-Enugwu-Ukwu road between Anaocha and Njikoka Local Government Areas of the state.
Disclosing the rescue operation to our correspondent, Southeast Zonal Commander of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) ACG Mark Okemefuna Okonkwo, said hunters received a distress call at 20:00 hours on Sunday 8th September from a passer-by of some people forcing someone into a vehicle along the aforementioned route.
Okonkwo said he immediately mobilized his men for rescue mission and they followed the direction from the Intel. On seeing them approaching, the hoodlums began to shoot sporadically to stop them but they gallantly surged on and the hoodlums swiftly sped off throwing their captive away from the vehicle.
Okonkwo said that their rapid response to the situation yielded positive results as they were able to rescue a woman who was thrown out from the kidnappers' speeding vehicle. That they equally recovered a stolen vehicle at the scene.
Also in another development, ACG Mark Okemefuna Okonkwo disclosed that they recovered another vehicle stolen at gunpoint along Neni-Nimo road border between Anaocha and Njikoka council areas on 25th August this year.
He said phone numbers in the documents found inside the vehicle helped to locate the owner of the vehicle who came and identified it as his car that was stolen from him at gunpoint on the ill-fated day along Neni-Nimo road.
He also stated that the recovered vehicle and the rescued kidnapped victim have been handed over to Neni police station for further actions.
Meanwhile the man whose stolen car was recovered by the operatives of the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), confirmed that the NHFSS recovered his stolen property.
The 61 year old man who identified himself as Mr. Christian Ozonyiama, a native of Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State but resides at Nnewi, narrated his ordeal, saying that he was going to Nnewi from Awka around 8pm on Sunday 25th August, 2024 when some armed men disguised as vigilante operatives flagged his vehicle and another down along Neni-Nimo road.
Mr. Ozonyiama who said he initially mistook them for vigilantes as they blocked the road to search the missionary bus before him and freed it, maintained that thereafter they came to his car pointing their touch lights inside it.
He said it was when they bundled him out of his car and ordered him to sit on the ground that it dawned on him that they were not vigilante operatives but kidnappers.
Ozonyiama narrated that as he sat on the ground, one of the kidnappers brought his phones from the car and gave him, saying that they won't harm him but they will need his car for an operation.
Hence they abandoned him on the deadly lonely Neni-Nimo road that fateful night and zoomed off with his Honda SUV car.
Ozonyiama who stated that he reported the incident to Nimo police station on Monday 26th August 2024, said he was however thankful to God and the Nigerian Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS) when he got a call from them that his stolen vehicle was found at Onu Ngege river boundary between Nri and Enugwu-Ukwu.
The NHFSS Southeast Zonal Commander therefore extolled the efforts of the Commander-General CG Amb. Dr. Joshua Osatimehin for his leadership of the service, stressing that the Commander-General has ensured discipline, diligence, gallantry and rapid response to rescue missions across Nigeria.