Anambra State: Church used for kidnapping Demolished

The Anambra State government has demolished a fake church  located at Umuobi Awkuzu, in Oyi local government area of the state. 

The pastor of the said church, Ifeanyi Nwezeagu, is believed to have kidnapped many innocent citizens and collected ransom worth millions of naira. According to reports, two buildings belonging to Pastor Ifeanyi Nwezeagu of Unchangeable God Ministry, were demolished on the orders of the State Government for kidnapping.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Olafimihan Adeoye, said the fake pastor, who claimed to cure mentally challenged persons, had kidnapped a lot of innocent citizens collecting huge ransoms. He was arrested in Lagos State in 2013, and wounded after attempting to resist arrest.

Reacting to the event, Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, said that his administration was winning the war against kidnappers and armed robbers in the state and would continue to empower the Police, and the Joint Security Operation with the necessary communication equipment and patrol vehicles.

The demolition team also pulled down two buildings in the family compound of the Nwadikes of Obinetiti Dusogu village, Awkuzu, the buildings belonged to a daughter of the family married to someone from another village.

Baby Igboanugo, as she is popularly called, has been on the run but in the last few years had been in contact with a kidnap gang and had incarcerated over 15 victims in the house and collected over 80 million naira as ransom.

The Police and the Joint Security Operation has, through their intelligence prowess, effected major arrests of kidnappers, including the arrest of suspects that kidnapped the younger brother of a legislator in the State House of Assembly as well as Nigeria’s midfielder Mikel Obi’s father.

While commending the security operatives, the State Governor expressed confidence in his resolve to win the war against criminals. The Police also paraded 14 suspects involved in inter-state criminal activities with specialties like kidnapping, armed robbery and forgery. They were paraded at the headquarters of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) at Awkuzu.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chukwuemeka, several arms and ammunition including rocket launchers, live cartridges and AK-47 rifles were also recovered.