The body of a 64-year-old retired Army Captain, Godfrey Zualamrk has been recovered in a farmland in Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area of the River State, three months after he was abducted.
Consequently, three suspected kidnappers that have been terrorising the state have been arrested in connection with the crime. The deceased, who was the Chief Security Officer of a company hired to protect pipelines at Agbonchaia in Eleme area of Rivers State, was abducted while on duty on September 18, 2021 and taken to a new site at Igbo-Etche area, from where they contacted his family, demanding N200 million ransom for his release. But they shot him dead and dumped his body in a vast farmland. Acting on intelligence, operatives of the Intelligence Response Team directed to unearth the disappearance of the retired Army Captain and policemen attached to the State Police command, arrested three suspects, who during interrogation, confessed to killing the victim. Commissioner of Police, River State Police Command, CP Eboka Friday, accompanied by the Commander IRT, DCP Tunji Disu , with other policemen and Army personnel, visited Igbo-Etche , today to exhume the remains of the retired Army Captain. Addressing journalists at the scene, CP Friday, said, the Police were not contacted until a month after the incident. He stated that policemen “swung into action and arrested 39-year-old Frank Ishie, from Utagba Ogbe Community in Kwale Ndokwa East LGA Delta State. He is the gang leader of the kidnap gang and has admitted responsibility for five other kidnappings in between Eleme and Igbo-etche areas of Rivers State. He admitted shooting the hostage on the foot which led to his death on the same as a result of the bleeding. “The second suspect is 38-year-old Iwuji Reginald from Ngugu Community in Ikeduru LGA Imo State. He is the second-in-command of the gang and also the driver. ” The third suspect is Gomba Okparaji , 34, from Abochia Community in Eleme LGA Rivers State. He is part of the kidnapping gang who not only brought this kidnap job but also lured the now deceased hostage to be kidnapped by his gang. “A phone with which the hostage’s sim card was used to negotiate for ransom has been recovered. Two ATM cards belonging to the deceased, Godfrey Zwalmark were recovered from the wallet of Frank Ishie. He led operatives to where the remains of the late hostage was left.” (Courtesy: Vanguard)
