The Department of State Securities (DSS) in Rivers State has arrested five persons in connection with the kidnapping and murder of a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Sampson Worlu, in December last year, after collecting N1 million ransom.
In the DSS custody are Chijioke Wisdom Ndubisi, Chinedu Alozie Wilfred, Jumbo Igwe Chikezie and Peace Gift Aluruchi-Amadi (female) all of whom are said to be the victim’s relations/neighbours at Ogboghoro community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.
Worlu, a lawyer, was kidnapped on December 12, 2015, while in transit to Imo State where he was serving.
He put a call through to his family that he had been kidnapped and that his abductors wanted a ransom of N5million.
After much negotiation, a ransom of N1m was paid by the family only for the suspects to kill him.
Soon after his murder, the suspects reportedly relocated from the state.
The suspects admitted their involvement in the crime in separate interviews although they claimed that the person who actually killed Worlu is still on the run.
Ndubuisi said: “I was the person that led the kidnap, but I was not the one that killed him. The main person that killed him is not here with us, we are many in the gang.”
The victim’s elder brother, Charles Worlu, called for justice in the matter, saying: “the deceased was my younger brother. He was called to the Bar last October and posted to Imo State for the mandatory one year service (Youths Service).
“He reported at the orientation camp in February but suddenly took ill while in camp and was sent home for treatment. After his treatment, he left home on December 12, to join his other colleagues. A day after, December 13, we received a call from him that he had been kidnapped on his way back.
“We requested to talk to his captors. They confirmed that they kidnapped him and demanded for N5 million ransom; that they needed money and nothing else.
“It was at that point we began to negotiate with them. Though we did not arrive at any compromise on December 15, we were able to raise N500,000. We called them and informed them about it and that that was the much we could raise.
“They accepted and told us where to go within Port Harcourt to drop the money and the time also (12 noon). We complied and they called to confirmed receiving the cash and then asked us to go to a certain place at (Rumukwurusi area of Obio/Akpor LGA), to pick our brother.
“We got to the place by 1pm same day, we waited till 6pm to no avail. We called them back to know the next line of action but their lines were no longer going through. At that point we left the place.
“After then we did not hear from them again until Saturday, December 19, and they said that the money we paid was part payment, and that it was for their feeding, and that we should make a further payment of N500,000.
“Meanwhile they had already killed my brother and still continued to demand for more money. Because we did not know, we struggled again to raise another N500,000. We called and informed them.
“They now directed that we go and drop it at Ihie junction in Abia State at a certain time. Initially they said we should go and drop it at a certain junction at Obigbo. When we got there and called them, they said it was no longer there but that we should proceed to Ihie junction at Aba, Abia State.
“It was there we finally went and drop the cash. They then called to say they had received it and that we should go back to that junction at Obigbo that we would see Sampson there.
“We got there in the evening, and waited till 4am the following day, we still did not see anybody. We left and went to make formal report to the security agencies especially the State Department of Security Services (DSS) who immediately mobilized and went into action and only God knows how they were able to track these people.
“They have confessed to the crime and said they decided to kill him despite the money because he knew them very well and would report them if he was left alive.
“So they had to kill him and bury him in a shallow grave they have shown to the DSS. The corpse is yet to be exhumed.”
He lauded the DSS for fishing out the suspects.
The Nation learnt that the suspects may be charged to court tomorrow.
Nation
