Gunmen kidnap corpse, demand N50m ransom

By Joe Udo

A group of hoodlums have reportedly abducted a corpse and the family members transported the body to the deceased man’s rural home in Ameze Owerre, Umabor community, in the Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu.

According to reports, the kidnappers have contacted the deceased’s family and requested a N50 million ransom.

The reports claimed that the remains of one Mr Ugwuanyi Israel, who passed away in Lagos, were taken away at Umuoka in the Udi local government of Enugu along with some family members when they were conveying the body to his community, despite the Enugu police’s denial that any such information existed before the command.

Accordingly, the gun-wielding kidnappers allegedly swooped on the family members and took them away along with the corpse.

A family member quoted by Ikenga Online, said, “His corpse was on its way from Lagos yesterday (Sunday) when the vehicle conveying his body was halted by kidnappers and people in the vehicle alongside the driver were all kidnapped at Umuoka Udi LGA of Enugu State.

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“The kidnappers have called the family and demanded a N50 million ransom.”

Collaborating to the report, Prof Chidi Odinkalu, former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), on X (formerly Twitter) said:

“Israel Ugwuanyi died in Lagos. Yesterday, family members were conveying his remains to Ameze Owerre, Umabor community in Nsukka LGA of Enugu State in SE #Nigeria when kidnappers abducted them & his dead body. They are demanding N50m in ransom.”

However, SaharaReporters reports that DSP Daniel Ndukwe, spokesman of the Enugu State Police Command, claimed he was unaware of the occurrence.

“Honestly I don’t have any such report,” Ndukwe said.