Kidnapped Boy: Police Release Suspects

 The Rivers state police command has released two suspects arrested in connection with the kidnap of a 15-year-old boy John Idhodaye in Port Harcourt.

John, a Junior Secondary School 1 student, has reportedly not been seen since February 24 when he left his guardian's home at the Eliozu East West Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers state for school at the GEOCO International School in Port Harcourt.

It is understood that the Rivers state commissioner of the Police Monitoring Unit is investigating the case, and four people identified as Timothy Iluaka, Ebuka Ebueke, Mofoni Adams and another man simply identified as Victor, were arrested over the kidnap after police allegedly found Idhodaye's belongings in  Iluaka's  apartment. The four suspects are tenants of John's guardian.

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Reacting to the alleged kidnap, the Rivers state police spokesperson, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, stated that the two suspects were released due to ill health.

"Two of the suspects whom I cannot disclose their names are receiving treatment in the hospital. They fell ill while in detention and we invited a doctor to check them. It was based on the doctor's recommendation that they need further treatment in the hospital that made us to release them for treatment. The family of the boy should be patient with the police because we are seriously looking for him. We advise them to be patient as we continue with our investigation. Going to the press will not help them and they should not be ingrates going about saying that police are not doing enough to find the boy. Moreover this case was not reported as kidnap."

While the police said they are searching for John, a family source, however, stated that the police are not being truthful.

The source who requested anonymity said “The police should stop lying and tell the world why they stopped tracking John’s number. They told us that that they tracked his number to a chief’s house and they were stopped from entering the house. The police tracked John’s phone number to a four-bedroom apartment in Port Harcourt but the owner of the apartment refused to allow the policemen in.

"The owner of the apartment one chief called the DPO of Mimi-Okoro Police Division and the DPO stormed the four bedroom apartment with policemen in three patrol vehicles and told the Divisional Police Officer from Akporo police station who was there with his team to track John to leave the house that there was order from above for the police men to  leave the house and stop tracking John's number. We don't know why this happened. We feel something is not right about this.  Who are the police trying to protect? John left home that fateful day for school but he did not return home. 

"John’s guardian found his belongings in Mr. Iluaka's apartment. They saw John's clothes, books, shoes, bags and other belongings including some household goods like TV and DVD John stole from his guardian's  guest room and kept in Mr. Iluaka's room.  When we demanded to know why the police released the suspects, the police became angry and they told us to give them space.  We fear that they have released Mr. Iluaka who is the prime suspect in this case. Mr. Iluaka is highly connected and he is bribing the police. This man Iluaka is a suspected armed robber and kidnap kingpin. Since he moved into John's guardian's apartment last year, he has bought five exotic cars. First he travelled and when he came back, he brought a PASSAT car.

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The following week, he came back with a Toyota Camry car. Then he bought a Honda car. Shortly after, he came back and parked an Infinity Jeep then he bought a Lexus Jeep. We wonder what business he is into that he is purchasing all these cars like how people buy sachet water. We suspect he has recruited John into armed robbery and the police should handle this case very well so that John and other boys they have recruited can be set free. Iluaka has four boys living with him but they don't have any means of livelihood."

The family source said they are appealing to the inspector general of police, Suleiman Abba, to look into the case as they have also written a petition to the assistant inspector general of police in charge of the Zone 6 police command over the matter.

Source: Legit.ng