…Victim’s husband hails state govt for taking over wife’s medical bills

Police Operatives of the Enugu State Command, acting on intelligence-guided discreet investigations, have arrested two male kidnapping suspects allegedly involved in the abduction of a heavily pregnant woman along Eke-Egede Road in Udi LGA, around 9:45 p.m., on April 22, 2024.

The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Kanayo Uzuegbu, has equally ordered the manhunt of other members of the kidnapping gang at large.

The arrest was confirmed in a statement issued on Saturday by DSP Daniel Ndukwe, Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Enugu State Command.

This is also as the victim’s husband, Mr Ekene Igwe, has hailed the Enugu State government for its quick intervention, which includes taking over the wife’s medical bills.

Ndukwe on his part said CP Uzuegbu swiftly led a crack team of police operatives, complemented by the Neigbourhood Watch Group and Forest Guards, to rescue the woman on April 23, 2024, around noon, barely 24 hours after her abduction.

According to him, “Providentially, the woman, later identified as Chinwendu Igwe and already in her expected period of delivery, delivered a male child and, upon her rescue, was taken to the hospital, where she and the baby were medically attended to and are in good condition courtesy of the Enugu State Government, which has undertaken to foot the medical bills of the mother and newborn.

“A preliminary investigation into the incident has revealed that the woman, unaided and for reasons yet-to-be ascertained, knowing that she was within her expected period of delivery, embarked on a journey by land with two of her children from Lagos to her paternal home in Egede, Udi LGA.

“She got to 9th Mile around 9 p.m. Lacking a convenient means of conveyance, she boarded a commercial motorcycle, with the motorcyclist electing to transport her and her two children due to her state of pregnancy.

“However, while on their way, the abductors attacked them, beat up the motorcyclist, and abducted the woman into the forest, leaving the rider and the children behind, before a team of Police Operatives from the Ezinze Police Division of the Command that responded upon intercepting information on the incident, could get to the scene.”

“The CP further describes as total misinformation the report by The Nation Newspaper of April 27, 2024 stating that ‘the woman was on her way to the hospital for delivery’ and that ‘the motorcyclist rescued the two children’.

“He, therefore, enjoins media houses to always maintain accuracy and objectivity when reporting security information of this nature to avoid misinforming the unsuspecting public and violating laws and ethics of media practices.

“The CP bemoans the fact that Mrs. Igwe the decided to embark on such long-distance travel by land and unaided, considering her heavy pregnancy and the time of movement to her final destination. Neither did she consider stopping by and having her husband, who resides in the Enugu metropolis, take her to the said paternal home at a later time. Hence, he urges all and sundry to exercise discretion and caution in such circumstances,” Ndukwe stated.

Meanwhile, the victim’s husband, Mr Igwe has commended Governor Peter Mbah highly for the state government’s prompt intervention upon learning about the development.

He said the Park Lane Hospital was taking care of the mother and child with the state government bearing full expenses and also supporting the family financially.

The American International School Abuja has explained why it turned over the advance tuition allegedly paid by former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello for five of his children to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Though the school didn’t mention Yahaya Bello in its explanation, the statement confirmed earlier reports that the institution refunded $760,910.84 from the $845,852 fees allegedly deposited by Bello.

The EFCC had alleged the fund was part of the N80.2b of Kogi money converted to personal use by the ex-Governor.

The $845,852 was allegedly paid to the school by Bello in August 2021 to cover the education of four of his children in the school and another one “to be enrolled in August 2022 if application successful (sic) and there is space available.”

The fees were to cover a period of 14 years (2021–2035) according to documents filed in court by the EFCC to support its case against the ex-Governor.

The four children were identified as: Farid Bello Grade 8; Zahra Bello Grade 6;Na’Ima Bello Grade 4 and Nana-Fatima Bello Grade 2. The fifth for enrollment in August 2022 if application successful and there is space available is Zayyan Ali Bello Pre-School.

The Head of the American International School Abuja, Greg Hughes explained the school turned over the fund paid as school fees “by a family with children enrolled in the school” based on EFCC investigation.

It explained recent media reports have highlighted issues between the Economic Financial

Crimes Commission (EFCC) and AISA and a family with children enrolled at the school, stemming from an investigation carried out in 2022.

According to the institution: “As a school we did accept an advance payment for school fees, and duly documented these fees in our records.

“Upon learning that the school fees we accepted in good faith were, in fact, part of an ongoing case with the EFCC, at no point has the school been accused of any wrong doing in relation to this case and we are cooperating fully with the EFCC to address matters currently before the courts”.

It stated since “these legal matters are being resolved within the judicial system and involve one of the  families, the school will refrain from making any further comments at this time.”