Residents and travelers in Imo State are being cautioned to remain vigilant due to the presence of a dangerous kidnapping and ritual gang operating within the Avu and Obinze areas of Owerri West. These criminals, armed with deadly weapons and charms, have established a hideout in a dense forest along Port-Harcourt Road.
For a considerable time, this notorious gang has been involved in numerous kidnappings, extortion, and heinous killings. Victims are typically abducted from commercial vehicles, which the gang members board disguised as ordinary passengers. They then hijack the vehicle at gunpoint and take their victims to their hideout.
Once at the hideout, victims are bound and blindfolded, and then forced to transfer money to the gang’s accounts. Those unable to meet the financial demands are coerced into calling friends and family for ransom. Tragically, those without the means to pay or who resist are often killed. The gang’s hideout is said to be strewn with the remains of their victims. Reports also indicate instances of rape and severe physical abuse.
Eyewitness accounts describe a mixed group of criminals, including Igbo, Fulani herdsmen, Hausa, and Yoruba individuals, with Igbos often used to lure victims due to language and regional familiarity.
Two recent victims, who chose to remain anonymous, recounted their harrowing experience. They were abducted while traveling from work and taken to the gang’s hideout after their bus was diverted off-course. After being robbed of their money and subjected to violence, they were only released after a ransom was paid.
