On Saturday, the Nigeria Police Force paraded the notorious Abuja kidnapper, Chinaza Philip-Okoye, who was on a stretcher at the Force Intelligence Response Team base in Guzape, Federal Capital Territory.
The suspect sustained severe injuries after being shot by police officers during the interception of his gang at a filling station on Thursday night.
Chinaza Philip-Okoye had become a household name in criminal circles, known for orchestrating high-profile kidnappings and extortion schemes in the Abuja metropolis. His arrest represents a significant victory in the ongoing battle against kidnapping, a crime that has plagued the region and instilled fear in residents.
The confrontation at the filling station was not without its challenges. The exchange of gunfire was intense, and in the heat of the moment, Philip-Okoye sustained severe injuries. The police, acting in self-defense and to neutralize the threat posed by the criminal gang, resorted to the use of force. The injured suspect was immediately taken into custody and transported to the Force Intelligence Response Team base for medical attention.
Philip-Okoye’s arrest is more than just the capture of an individual; it symbolizes a breakthrough in the fight against organized crime in the nation’s capital. It showcases the dedication and effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force in tackling high-profile criminal activities. The arrest serves as a warning to other criminals that law enforcement agencies are relentless in their pursuit of justice.
Philip-Okoye was apprehended by a combined team of FCT and Kaduna police officers in Kaduna while taking a victim, Segun Akinyemi, from Abuja to Kano State.
The police responded to Akinyemi’s abduction when the kidnappers passed through Rita Lori, Garki, Abuja on Thursday night, prompting alerts to all police formations in the FCT and neighboring states of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi.
“We were informed of Akinyemi’s abduction when the kidnappers drove through Rita Lori in Garki, so the FCT Police Command alerted all police formations in the FCT and neighbouring states of Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, and Kogi.
“So, FCT anti-kidnapping operatives chased them into Kaduna State before other gang members fled, and Chinaza Phillip-Okoye was shot at and apprehended by a team of FCT policemen and Kaduna State police officers, and the victim was rescued unhurt and his vehicle recovered,” a senior police source confirmed.
Parading the kidnapper on Saturday, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the suspects ran out of luck as they were intercepted by police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna, where three of them escaped, while one by them, Philip-Okoye, was arrested, and the victim was rescued unhurt.
Adejobi said, “In a proactive move, following a report on the abduction of a victim from his house along with his Hilux Van with Reg. No. RBC 90 DL Gray colour by four armed men who disguised in a white Mercedez Benz 230 car, Police Operatives in an intelligence-propelled investigation discovered that the victim was being taken to Kano State, but was dispossessed of his ATM cards at Kaduna while the sum of N500,000.00 was transferred from his account.
“The suspects however ran out of luck as they were intercepted by Police operatives at a filling station in Kaduna where three of them escaped, while one by the name Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael was arrested, the victim rescued unhurt, and the said Hilux Van recovered. It was discovered that Chinaza Philip Okoye Michael and his accomplices had earlier been arrested sometime in November 2023 and charged for similar offences, at the High Court, Kwali, Abuja, but went back to committing even worse crimes while on court bail.”
