In a disturbing incident on the Eke-Affa-Ezinze road in the Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, abducted a motorist who had returned for Easter celebrations on Sunday. Despite the presence of police checkpoints along the route, the assailants struck, leaving the victim’s vehicle abandoned on the road.
The family of the victim has accused the Enugu State Police Command of neglecting their duty to pursue the kidnappers and secure the release of their loved one. They lamented that despite the frequent extortion of commuters by police at the roadblocks, law enforcement officers failed to apprehend the criminals who have turned the area into a hotbed of criminal activity.
A video circulating online depicted the aftermath of the attack, with armed policemen and local vigilantes milling around the abandoned vehicle. A voice in the footage narrated the ordeal, expressing frustration at the police’s reluctance to pursue the kidnappers.
“We are telling the police to go after the kidnappers, but they told us that they cannot go anywhere,” the voice stated. “They keep hunting pro-Biafra agitators but can’t go after kidnappers who have turned our area into a kidnapping spot.
Residents of the area, including Kevin Eze, have voiced concerns that the inaction of Nigerian security agencies, particularly the police, may drive communities to take matters into their own hands in the face of escalating kidnappings along the Eke-Affa-Ezinze road.
Efforts to reach the Enugu State Police Command’s spokesperson, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, for comment on the alleged kidnapping were unsuccessful.
