…For family’s failure to pay N20m ransom
NGOZI UWUJARE
Schoolmates of 16-year-old Christian Onyemarin at Royal Academy Group of Schools, Owa, Agbor, Delta State and members of his family are in deep grief.
The teenager was abducted by a gang of kidnappers allegedly led by two brothers, Emmanuel Isioma Nwadiolu, 24, and Precious Nwadiolu, 22, who worked with 26-year-old Onyeka Netor Festor.
All three are now in the custody of the Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad, Delta State Police Command. They are alleged to have demanded the sum of N20 million from his family but were only able to get N50,000. The situation turned ugly and fatal for the victim as the gang was enraged by the paltry sum paid by the family, which was dropped for the gang at second powerline in Boji-Boji Owa, Agbor, Delta State.
Sunday Sun learnt from the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammadu Alhaji Mustapha, that the teenager was abducted on October 3, 2017, about 10.00am by the gang with a motorcycle and driven to a rented apartment in the bush located close the first powerline, Boji-Boji Owa. The deceased was blindfolded and robbed of his mobile phone which was used to contact his family and demand of N20 miilion ransom made. The deceased was with the kidnappers for seven days in the bush where he was kept.
Mustapha explained further that the victim’s family negotiated with the kidnappers and subsequently agreed to pay N300,000 as ransom October 10, 2017, and the first part of N50,000 was then dropped at the point specified by the gang.
Upon retrieving the money, the abductors who belong to the Supreme Eiye Confraternity became angry that the amount was just N50,000. They set on the victim and beat him with woods and an axe, inflicting serious injuries on his head till he collapsed. Then kidnappers left him, satisfied that he was dead.
When he regained consciousness, he managed to crawl to a nearby road where passersby saw him and sympathizers took him to General Hospital, Owa-Alero, from where he was referred to St. Luke’s Hospital, Asaba. Unfortunately he died while receiving medical treatment due to the seriousness of the head injuries. But he was able to disclose the identity of the member of the gang who he recognized from the sound of his voice.
The Sunday Sun gathered that the elder brother of the deceased, Henry Oyemarin, reported the case on October 12, 2017 at Special Anti-Kidnapping and Cyber Crime Squad Office, Asaba and the operatives swung into action immediately.
Mustapha stated that the men of the squad arrested Emmanuel Isioma Nwadiolu and Onyeka Netor Festor on October 14, 2017 and October 17, respectively at Ekuku-Agbor and during interrogation confessed to the crime and admitted killing the deceased.
Based on this confession, the command arraigned them before Okwe Magistrate Court, Asaba on a 10-count charge of conspiracy, kidnapping, armed robbery, murder, demanding with menaces and belonging to an unlawful society.
The charge sheet stated that the offences contravened sections of some Delta State laws, namely, Section 3(d) of the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping Law, 2016; Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Law Cap. C. 21 Vol. 1 Laws Delta State of Nigeria, 2006.
Two of the accused persons, Emmanuel Isioma Nwadiolu and Onyeka Netor Festor, were remanded at Ogwashi-Uku Prisons. Meanwhile, Mustapha also disclosed Precious Nwadiolu was arrested on January 30, 2018 in Lagos State. Under interrogation he admitted being part of the gang that kidnapped and killed the deceased.
In a confessional statement, he said: “Myself and my elder brother, Emmanuel Nwadiolu participated in kidnapping Christian Onyemarin. We were five members in the kidnapping gang that carried out the operation. It was Humble Oyiokwu Ugochukwu who organized the kidnapping. He knows the family of Christian Onyemarin. I was the one who was looking after him and feeding him.
“I attended Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku and finished four years ago. We demanded a ransom of N20 million. The father of the victim paid us N50,000. We were angry and killed him in the bush, and shared the N50,000. I got N5,000 as my share and we left the hideout.”
Nwadiolu who hails from Egbodo-Akah in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State further said: “Immediately police detectives started looking for us and arrested my elder brother, I ran to Lagos State to hide. Yes, I am a member of “Supreme Eiye” Confraternity and we have been involved in several crimes.”
Mustapha stated that Precious Nwadiolu would soon be charged to court. He said that the command was still on the trail of Mike Otuya and Humble Oyiokwu Ugochukwu, who is said to have masterminded the abduction and murder of the deceased. Both of them are at large.
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