The Enugu State Government has demolished another property linked to kidnappers in furtherance of its avowed zero tolerance for kidnapping. It also cautioned landlords against harbouring shady characters in their properties.
The state’s Criminal Code Law mandates the demolition or forfeiture of such properties.
Speaking with journalists at the site of the demolition, the Executive Chairman, Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority, Uche Anya, confirmed that a mansion located in Amaebo Owelli community in Awgu Local Government Area was used to hide kidnapped victims.
Anya stated that a video of a male kidnapping victim, who had several AK-47 rifles pointed at his head in May 2024, was recorded in the same building, adding that security agencies were able to track the building, rescuing the victim, while also apprehending most of the criminals and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition.
He said, “What you see here today is the continuation of the war of the Enugu State Government against all manner of criminality. Today, we are here to take down a kidnappers’ den. The property you see us taking down right now is a place where horrendous criminal activities happen.
“For instance, on May 25, 2024, some deadly kidnappers abducted a man in Enugu, brought him here, stripped him bare, bound him, pointed guns at him, and forced him to start talking to his family to request for money. They then sent that video to his relatives.
“They held him down, but to the glory of God and the commitment of Governor Mbah, who is giving his all to security, the government and security agencies, through our state-of-the-art security system, were able to see what was happening in this rural community.”
He further noted that several AK-47 rifles, semi-automatic weapons, and different types of ammunition, including dozens of proscribed and offensive weapons, were recovered.
