Africa Press-Nigeria:
Ifeanyi Asiegbuelam, a gang member of late notorious kidnapper, Collins Ezenwa, aka E-money, has made shocking revelations about the gang’s activities.
E-money was killed at Atta in Ikeduru Local Government Area of Imo State in January 2018.
Ezenwa, a former police officer-turned bandit and some foot-soldiers were shot dead by Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) operatives on Saturday, January 27.
32-year-old Ifeanyi, presently in the custody of operatives of the Inspector-General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT), noted that Ezenwa was killed after he was deceived by one of his boys, Chinwendu.
He told newsmen at the weekend that Chinwendu acted out a script given to him by the policemen after his arrest for kidnapping.
Ifeanyi said unaware that Chinwendu had been nabbed, Ezenwa asked him to bring some guns for an operation.
The policemen, who had been monitoring Chinwendu’s phone, gave him a location where several officers had taken positions.
Ifeanyi recalled that he was with Ezenwa the day they went to collect the guns from Chinwendu but ran into the bush as operatives opened fire.
“We didn’t know that Chinwendu had been arrested and was in the custody of Imo State Police SARS. While we were calling Chinwendu, the Police made him tell Ezenwa, De-Don, PA and I to meet him at a location where we could collect the rifle and proceed for the operation”, The Eagle Online quoted him as saying.
“When we got there, E-money sensed danger, stopped his SUV and started running. De-Don and PA joined him. The Police chased and gunned them down. I escaped into a nearby bush. It was after the last arrest that I realised that E-money had made so much money from our business, but he left me a poor man.
Ifeanyi confessed that the gang operated in Imo and Abia States and kidnapped several rich persons.
The suspect said he and E-money had been close friends for five years before the deceased enlisted into the Nigeria Police.
Ifeanyi, from Attah town, disclosed that they were both motorcycle operators in Owerri and that he never had secondary school education because his father died when he was in primary school.
He said: “The first operation, we went out with E-money’s tinted Prado SUV. We drove to Okigwe, where we kidnapped a man. I don’t know how E-money got information about him, but I heard him talking to someone on the phone. The person gave him a description of the clothes the victim was wearing and the type of car he was driving.
“On sight, we blocked his car and dragged him out. We bundled him into E-money’s car and drove off. E-money asked me to blindfold the man. When we got close to my town, he asked me to alight and then gave me N50,000. I didn’t know where he took the man to, the number of days he held him captive or the ransom.”
Asiegbuelam recalled that two weeks later, Ezenwa came to pick him and they proceeded to Umuahia, Abia State, where they kidnapped a man.
“On our way back to Owerri, Ezenwa again asked me to alight and gave me N50,000. This time, he told me that he was heading to Enugu State, that he has a hotel there. He said that he would keep the victim there. I didn’t question him. I just took the money and left. Some days later, he called and came to pick me. We went to Orlu and kidnapped a man driving a Toyota Highlander.
“E-money took the man to my house in Ikeduru and kept him there for two days. He gave me N50,000, a Pump Action gun and asked me to watch over the man. He returned and took the man away. He has seven men, including me, working for him. He had two Pump Action guns; bought AK-47 rifles from a man in Aba, Abia State. We met the man in the bush, paid and collected the rifles.
Ifeanyi recounted that men working for Ezenwa sometimes split into two gangs. He belonged to the gang that had De-Don and PA as members, while the second gang has Chimobi, Chiwendu and Ugo.
“After Ezenwa and others were killed. I ran to Owerri and later got a call from Ugo, who was keeping one of E-money’s rifles. On our first operation, we kidnapped a woman along Onitsha Road. While we were taking the woman to our camp, some policemen accosted us. There was a shootout and Ugo’s friend was killed. Ugo escaped, but Chimobi and I were arrested. He sustained a bullet wound.
“We were handcuffed and kept in an open-cell. I don’t know how he got the keys we used to open our handcuffs and escaped. I ran to Rivers State, but I don’t know where Chimobi ran to. I lived in Calabar with a friend for seven months and went to the farm with him. I was arrested at his house and taken to Owerri before I was brought back to Lagos and handed over to the IRT.”
