Red Alert: Victims narrate ordeal in the hands of kidnapping, ritual gang in Avu, Obinze

Two victims of the dangerous kidnapping and ritual gang located in Avu, Obinze, Owerri West Local Government Area, who did not want their names in print for security reasons have narrated their harrowing experiences recently, warning Imo residents, the public and travelers to beware of these dare devils operating in Imo State, particularly within Avu and Obinze Axis.

The victims who were residents of Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri, confided to the media on Sunday narrating their ordeals in the hands of these men of the underworld.

According to them, these dangerous gang of kidnappers and ritualists have their den inside a thick bush/forest within Avu and Obinze communities along Port-Harcourt Road, and operate with dangerous weapons and charms.

It would be recalled that for a long period, these notorious kidnappers and ritualists have kidnapped, taken money from their victims, tortured them and killed those who could not afford their financial bidding or those who struggled to escape from them.

They get their victims by charming them in the vehicle (always commercial buses) they board in disguise as innocent passengers, hijack the vehicle on gunpoint, and in their den, they would tie up their victims’ legs, hands and eyes and force them to transfer money to the account number they provide.

“Any of their victims who does not have the kind of money they want, they force him or her to call their people, friends and victims who have no money or no body to reach out to, they kill. Many of their victims have been killed and their Den littered with human carcasses. Many have been raped, molested and maimed”

The Victims narrated that these dangerous gang of Ritualists and Kidnappers, are a mixture of Igbos, Fualani Herdsmen, Hausa and Yoruba indigenes, but Igbos among them are being fronted to get victims to their Den because of language and identity reasons.

They separately narrated that they were “coming back from work by 7: pm on Wednesday, two men entered the vehicle they boarded from Douglas by Mbaise Road.

The victims further narrated that two men who were looking innocently begged the mini bus driver to stop, that they want to buy some items, which the driver obliged them, they went inside the Super Store and came out with some goods and we continued the Journey.
On getting to Hospital Junction, along Port Harcourt Road, those men brought out guns, pointed at the bus driver. The driver followed the road where they forced him to follow.

They said, “before we know it, we saw ourselves at a dreaded secluded smelling environment in Avu. They tied our legs, hands and eyes and ordered us into the thick forest where we were raped, molested, beaten and took our money.

“They emptied all the money in our Bank Accounts, forced us to call our people and friends. They killed those who did not comply. One thing that pained us badly was a young man who they killed for struggling with them. They cut off his head with a cutlass. The den is littered with human carcasses. We were freed because we paid them hugely. I called my people who sent money”.

The lamenting victims called on the public, residents, commercial bus drivers and other road users to be careful of vehicles they enter, be mindful of people who enter their vehicle, where they stop, to avoid falling into the hands of these men of the underworld who now operate in all parts of Imo State especially Port-Harcourt Road and Owerri City.

They urged government to support the Army, the Police and other relevant security apparatuses to quickly intervene, go into the thick bush/forest located between Avu and Obinze communities in Owerri West, arrest the criminals to save life, as no one knows who are going to be their next victims.