Air Force Officer Foils Robbery Attempt by Kidnappers, Rescues Two Victims

·      FCT command nab suspect over kidnap of 12-year-old

Kingsley Nwezeh in Abuja

A serving Nigerian Air Force (NAF) officer, Air Commodore John Ijudigal, weekend,  foiled a robbery/kidnap attempt by suspected criminals popularly known as “one-chance” in Abuja.

Operatives of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command also arrested one Ulagu Philemon Chukwuma, 29, for allegedly masterminding the kidnap of his boss’ son, Justin Nwakwo, 12, on February 10, 2024, in Jabi, Abuja.

The incident involving the air force officer occurred on February 14, at Accra Road, Wuse Zone 5, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the eventual rescue of two of the kidnap victims.

It happened about 7.28pm as Ijudigal was commuting home in his staff car after work. He suddenly came across a distressing scene.

A statement issued by NAF said there was, “An Abuja-painted taxi (Mazda 323, registration BWR 232 XB) reversing on high speed, with terrified passengers inside screaming for help.

“In pursuit of the taxi was a black Toyota Land Cruiser. Instinctively, Air Commodore Ijudigal immediately joined in the pursuit by using his official vehicle to block the escape route of the criminals.

“The driver of the ‘one-chance’ vehicle, in a state of panic, then collided with Air Commodore Ijudigal’s official vehicle, resulting in significant damage to both cars.

“The impact caused the ‘one-chance’ vehicle to skid into a nearby garden. Following the collision, Air Commodore Ijudigal promptly exited his vehicle and chased after one of the occupants of the ‘one-chance’ taxi, who had fled into a nearby bush.”

NAF stated that with the assistance of onlookers gathered at the accident scene, the driver of the ‘one-chance’ vehicle, along with two other suspects (a male and a female), were apprehended, while two female victims were rescued. Subsequently, Ijudigal contacted the nearest police post and personally ensured the three criminals were handed over to the FCT Commissioner of Police, Mr Benneth Igweh, at his office.

In his comments, the FCT Commissioner of Police commended Ijudigal for his courage, highlighting that his intervention not only foiled a robbery/kidnapping attempt but also played a crucial role in apprehending criminals who had constituted a security risk to law-abiding citizens of the FCT.

The commissioner further praised the senior officer’s act as a demonstration of bravery and unwavering commitment to public service.

According to Igweh, “The swift and decisive measures taken, no doubt, averted a potential tragedy, reinstating confidence in the security forces.”

NAF said the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had since commended Ijudigal for his bravery and act of selfless service.

Ijudigal is a former NAF Deputy Director of Sports and currently the Deputy Director of Logistics at the Defence Headquarters.

Meanwhile, FCT Police Command arrested one Chukwuma for masterminding the kidnap of his boss’ 12-year-old son, Justin Nwakwo 12, on February 10, in Jabi, Abuja.

Philemon, a domestic worker, who served as a chef to the Nwakwo family, was arrested by officers of the Utako Police Divisional Headquarters, who were following up on investigations to rescue the abducted boy and also to arrest the perpetrators.

Investigations by the police revealed that the principal suspect, who had since confessed to the crime, conspired with one Mc Donald Arinze, currently at large, to commit the crime.

The suspects had earlier forcefully obtained a cash sum of N3, 900,000 as ransom from the victim’s father. The long arm of the law caught up with the criminals following intensified efforts by the police.

“The boy was rescued unhurt and reunited with his parents. The cash sum earlier extorted was equally recovered,” the police said.

The command, in a statement, said while effort was still ongoing to apprehend the suspects at large, the Commissioner of Police, FCT, Benneth C. Igwe, reiterated his unflinching commitment to the safety of all in the territory.

He equally encouraged residents to involve the police in the profiling of their domestic workers in view of the new trend and pattern of kidnapping by domestic workers. He urged residents to report suspicious activities to the police.