PHOTOS: Enugu government demolishes kidnappers den — rescues victim

• The recovered items included AK-47 rifles, semi-automatic weapons, all manners of ammunition, dozens of proscribed and offensive weapons.
• The chairman said that the demolished property will make way for a clinic or similar beneficial project for Owelli Court residents.

The Enugu state government has torn down a property in Awgu LGA allegedly used by kidnappers, overseen by Uche Anya, chairman of ECTDA.

This demolition, which happened on Saturday, targeted a mansion in Amaebo Owelli Autonomous Community.

According to Anya, security agencies rescued a kidnapping victim and caught most of the culprits, also recovering arms and ammo.

“The video of a male kidnapping victim who had several AK-47 riffles pointed at his head in May 2024 was recorded in the same building,” he said.

Anya explained that security agencies tracked the building, rescued the victim, apprehended most of the criminals, and recovered arms and ammunition.

“What you see here today is the continuation of the war of the Enugu State Government against all manner of criminality,” he said.

“Today, we are here to take down a kidnappers’ den. The property you see us taking down right now is a place where horrendous criminal activities happened.

“For instance, on May 25, 2024, kidnappers abducted a man, brought him to this location, stripped and bound him, and forced him to beg his family for money.”

He noted that security agencies intervened, arresting everyone except the kingpin, who fled to Ebonyi and then Lagos, where he was eventually caught.

Anya emphasized that these demolitions follow the state’s Criminal Code Law, cautioning property owners against enabling crime.

The government aims to deter future crimes by destroying these properties, preventing any profit or commemoration of criminal activity, and promoting safety.

“This is a warning to every landlord, the Enugu State Government will never accept it as an excuse,” Anya said.

“Every landlord, once you put up a house in Enugu, we hold you responsible for any criminality that happens in your property. Once it becomes a violent crime – kidnapping, killing, armed robbery – we will take down the property in line with existing laws.”

The government has seized the property, revoking its title deed.