Gunmen Kidnap INEC Worker, Demand N40m Ransom in Anambra
- Gunmen kidnapped an INEC employee along the Ebenebe axis of Awka North LGA, Anambra State, on July 24
- About an hour before the abduction, armed men shot a businessman in his Mercedes-Benz on the same road
- Police are investigating whether both attacks were carried out by the same criminal gang operating in the area
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Armed men have kidnapped an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) worker in Anambra State and demanded a N40 million ransom, hours after gunmen shot and wounded a businessman along the same road in Awka North Local Government Area.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama reported both incidents, which occurred along the Ebenebe axis on July 24, 2025.
Source: Twitter
Christy Nkiru Okeke, the INEC employee, was taken at around 7:00pm. Her husband later walked into the B Division Police Headquarters in Awka to report her disappearance after the kidnappers reached out to the family with a N40 million demand for her release, Vanguard reports.
Businessman Shot While Returning Home
Roughly an hour before Okeke's abduction, a businessman identified as Emmanuel Nwobodo was driving back from Oba when four men in dark clothing opened fire on his Mercedes-Benz near Ebenebe Community Secondary School.
Nwobodo managed to drive away from the scene before realising he had been hit by a bullet in his left knee. His car also sustained damage to the radiator and the rear seat belt guard.
One of his staff members, Tochukwu Afunenu, fled into nearby bushes during the attack, taking the businessman's ATM card and two mobile phones with him. Nwobodo grew suspicious when voice messages were later sent from Afunenu's phone claiming the staff member had also been kidnapped and asking for a N40 million ransom.
Police Launch Search Operation
"Police said extensive combing of surrounding bushes and intelligence-led tracking operations are ongoing to rescue the abducted victim and apprehend the perpetrators," Makama's report noted.
Investigators are working to determine whether the two attacks, both of which took place along the same stretch of road within a short window of time, were carried out by the same group of criminals.
High court judge kidnapped by bandits in midnight raid
Recently in a different development, a judge of the Kebbi State High Court, Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, has been abducted by gunmen suspected to be bandits from his residence in Bunza Local Government Area of the state.
The abduction reportedly occurred around midnight on Sunday along Zogirma Road, shortly after the judge returned home from a trip to neighbouring Sokoto State.
Source: Legit.ng
