Police allegedly kidnap Nigerian youth, steal his fridge, TV

The whereabouts of a young man in Imo State, Mmaduabuchi Onuoha, have remained unknown after his arrest by operatives of the Mgbidi Divisional Police Station in Orsu West LGA of the state.

According to the Onuoha family, Mmaduabuchi went missing on February 2 after he visited his girlfriend at her father’s house and his subsequent arrest by the police officers.

His mother, Martina Onuoha said the Mgbidi Divisional Police Officer (DPO) informed them that the young man had been transferred to the anti-kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Criminal Investigation Department.

The family, however, alleged that after the police apprehended Mmaduabuchi, the officers returned to Onuoha’s home and carted away his properties including a TV set, generator, fridge, mattress, and a commercial bus.

According to the family, the police officers further damaged the young man’s 18-seater bus parked in his compound.

Meanwhile, the state CID had repeatedly refused to provide any information about Mmaduabuchi’s whereabouts to the family or its lawyers.

The family claimed further that Onuoha’s name was not on the police “logbook or detainee’s book”, adding that the family had been “dribbled” since February 2.

They appealed to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Governor Hope Uzodimma and the Imo State Commissioner of Police to intervene and find out what is going on.

Onuoha’s mother described the situation as a case of “unlawful detention”, expressing fear that her son might have been killed.

“The matter concerns my son, Mmaduabuchi Onuoha whom we (the entire family) have been looking for since the 2nd day of February 2022.

“Mmaduabuchi Onuoha on the said date went to visit his girlfriend, one Miss Chinecherem Endurance Alozie from Umuoma Ogbe, Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State but resides at Mgbidi with her parents.

“He went in the company of a female friend by the name Miss Chinonso Martha from Umouofor Eze, Umuhuocha Obohia, Ahiazu Mbaise LGA, Imo State whose elder brother my son Mmaduabuchi works for.

“On getting to Mgbidi where Chinecherem lives with her father, her father Mr Lawrence Alozie called the police from the Mgbidi Police Station on them with the allegation of my son kidnapping his daughter (Chinecherem).

“My son Mmaduabuchi and Chinonso that accompanied him were arrested and taken to the Mgbidi Police Station. When this information got to us, we went to the police station, the Mgbidi Divisional Police Officer told us that they had been transferred to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State Criminal Investigation Department.”

She stated that all efforts to get the anti-kidnapping Unit to tell them about his whereabouts and when he would be charged to court had proved abortive.

She added, “The police also went to his residence at Umuhuocha Obohia in Ahiazu Mbaise LGA of Imo State and carted away his properties such as his TV set, generator, fridge, foam and also confiscated his commercial bus and damaged his other 18-seater bus parked inside the compound.

“All efforts to know the whereabouts of my son Mmaduabuchi Onuoha have proved abortive. The family has gone to the state CID on several occasions with lawyers but they refused to give us any information as regards his whereabouts. His name is not even in their logbook or detainee’s book and they have not told us why that is.

“The Investigating Police Officer (IPO), one Eberechukwu Nwosu, has been dribbling us about the whereabouts of my son, Mmaduabuchi Onuoha.

“We the family of Mmaduabuchi humbly solicit the help of the Imo State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Governor of Imo State, the Nigerian press community and the general public, to help us ask the IPO Eberechukwu Nwosu of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Imo State CID, Mr Lawrence Alozie and his daughter Chinecherem Alozie, Chinoso Martha who accompanied him and was arrested along with him but later released to go home, the whereabouts of our son Mr Mmaduabuchi Onuoha whether dead or alive and to help us make sure that Mmaduabuchi gets justice.”