Police nab couple for sending threat messages in Anambra

Operatives of the Anambra State Police Command have arrested a couple, Kingsley Okoye, 36, and Chidinma Okoye, 27, for allegedly sending threatening messages and attempting to kidnap unsuspecting individuals.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the command’s spokesman, disclosed in a statement on Friday that the duo specialised in issuing threats of abduction through text messages, demanding ransom with the ultimatum of abduction or murder.

According to Ikenga, the joint security force, comprising the police and vigilante operatives acting on technology-driven information, arrested the suspects on Friday.

He said the suspects confessed to the crime and admitted to destroying some of the SIM cards that they had earlier used to commit the crimes.

The statement read in part, “The Anambra State Police Command is aware and already investigating a related recent trending voice note of a security report on how a victim escaped abduction by an alleged security operative.

“Given reports of text messages and voice notes received by unsuspecting members of the public on threats of abduction and kidnap, the Joint Security Force, comprising the Police and AVG acting on technology-driven information in the early hours of today (Friday), arrested a couple, one Mr. Okoye Kingsley, aged 36 years, and Mrs Chidinma Okoye, aged 27 years, respectively, in Ozubulu, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State recovers phones and sim cards.

“The couple specialises in sending threatening messages to people and demanding ransom or they shall be abducted or killed. They all confessed to the crime and admitted to destroying some of the sim cards which they had earlier used to commit the crimes.”

According to him, Nnaghe Obono Itam, the state Commissioner of Police, has directed the immediate transfer of the case to the anti-kidnapping/robbery squad of the command for comprehensive investigations while the accused persons shall be charged to court on the conclusion of the investigations.

In another development, Ikenga said the command is aware of and already investigating a recent and related voice note of a security report to a police station on how a victim escaped abduction by an alleged security operative.

“The command did not take the information for granted. Hence, activates all the necessary intelligence tools to unmask the suspects and nip the issue in the bud to avoid reoccurrence,” he stated.