The rate of insecurity inImoStatehas in recent time become alarming that even children and disables are no longer spared.
Last Wednesday, it was the turn of the residents of Ekwema Crescent Ikenegbu layout Owerri to witness the ungodly act of the unrepentant kidnappers inImoStateas they abduct another highly placed civil servant in the state Mr Gilbert Ihemebiri. The victim Mr Gilbert Ihemebiri who is the Director of Finance in the Imo State House of Assembly, was according to an eye witness account abducted opposite St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church alongEkwema Crescentwhile taking his child to school.
Narrating the ugly incident, an eye witness who is full of praises to God for sparing her life from the bullets of the abductors, told our Reporter that, she was on her way to a meeting with her priest at about 7:30 am when she noticed the rat race of two cars towards her, her initial thought was that the police was on the heels of hoodlums. But before she knew what was happening, they had punctured the tyres of their victims with bullets and double crossed him. Dragged him out of his official car, leaving his little child whom he was taking to school before going to work.
The eye witness, also revealed that the hoodlums were four young men on police bullet proof vest, with sophisticated AK47. It was also revealed that they rained cars and buildings within their sight with bullets, throughout the period of the operation before absconding with the man leaving the man’s car with his driver and the child. A worker at Maria Goretti Parish Ikenegbu who narrated the whole story told our Reporter that she is alive without any bullet wound was just by the special grace of God because she was just few centimeters away from the operation scene right in front of the church gate as the bullets were flying in every direction. “How I was able to crawl into the church premises still remains a mystery, imagine I was covered with the debris of the church wall that was hit and brushed by their bullets” she said.
She ran to the church chapel where other members took refuge while the operation lasted.
Some of the residents who spoke to Imo Trumpeta regretted the successful operation of the hoodlums meters away from the police quarters without any help from them.
In a related development, the Principal of Alvana Model Secondary School Mr Ben Iheanacho was also abducted the same day. It was also gathered that a well known Rev Father was spared from the kidnappers by divine intervention although they made away with his phones.
