By Vincent Ujumadu

AWKA—SUSPECTED kidnappers of the mother of the former chairman of the Nigerian Football Federation, NFF, Alhaji Sani Lulu, and wife of the former Managing Director of Nigeria Breweries Plc, Chief Festus Odumegwu, were among 21 persons paraded yesterday in Awka by  Anambra State police command.

While one Lawrence Okagbue confessed receiving N500,000 from the N4.1 million they got as ransom from the Lulu family, Anthony Nwangwu, in whose house at Orsumoghu in Ihiala local government area Mrs. Odumegwu was kept for three days before being released, said his gang received N100 million ransom out of which he was paid N5 million.

Okagbue, who said he was a driver at Nsukka before a friend lured him into going to Kogi State to kidnap Madam Lulu, told reporters that it was his first time. However, the 65-year-old Nwangwu admitted serving 25 years jail term before the latest crime. He said he used the N5 million to renovate his house.

According to the state commissioner of police, Mr. Philemon Leha, who briefed newsmen on the arrests, the suspects, who kidnapped Lulu’s mother, kept her at Nsukka, but collected their ransom from the victim’s relations along Nkwelle on the Onitsha-Otuocha road where they shared their loot.

In the case of Mrs. Odumegwu, he said that acting on information, members of  Okpoko Vigilance Service in Ogbaru local government area, stormed Ndiakwaeke Umudim in Orsumoghu and arrested Nwangwu and one Fabian Ugochukwu Uche, 20.

He said the two named other members of the gang were still at large, adding that operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, have spread their dragnet to arrest the others.

Also paraded was Ogbenna Francis from Mgbo in Ohaukwu local government area of Ebony State, but residing in Awka, who allegedly kidnapped the state chairman of  Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, with six others still at large.

The CP said the suspect admitted that they were also planning to kidnap the special adviser to Governor Peter Obi on markets and parks, Chief Sykver Nwobu-Alor at Agulu before deciding to attack the CAN boss first.

He said the state command lost 25 policemen between January and August this year in the course of fighting crime, adding that 40 rifles of various types, including 13 AK 47, 2 K2 rifles, one general purpose machine gun, one military rifle were recovered from hoodlums within the period.

The CP who has been in the state for one year, said that he met a police force with low morale and absolute lack of confidence to be able to embark on any serious crime fighting when he arrived Anambra State, adding that he embarked on series of lectures that were aimed at boosting their morale