By Christopher Isiguzo in Enugu
About 36-hours after he was abducted by unknown gunmen, Elder Statesman and former Secretary General of the apex Igbo Socio-Cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Nduka Eya has regained his freedom.
Eya served as one time commissioner for Education in the old Anambra state, and also a one time Resident Electoral Commissioner, before retiring from active public service over decade ago.
He has also been a social critic and public affairs commentator, and has been a guest of popular radio and television stations in the state in recent time.
A statement by the Police Public Relations officer of the Enugu state police command, Supol Ebere Amaraizu showed that the operatives of the Anti Kidnap Unit of the Command through intelligence information had coordinated the operation that led to the release of the octogenarian in the early hours of Saturday.
Eya was abducted at about 8:30pm at his residence located at Ezillo street independence layout Enugu.
He was rescued unhurt by the operatives following an operation carried out in a forest along Enugu/Abakiliki Expressway in which one suspect identified as chibundu Amadi was reportedly arrested.
According to the statement, the operatives recovered a locally made gun from the suspect who is said to be helping the Police in their investigations.
Meanwhile, Eya has re-united with the family while manhunt on other suspects are intensified, the statement noted.
A new twist was however added into the kidnap saga as the octogenarian fingered his driver as a collaborator-in-chief in his ordeal.
Eya who spoke to ThisDay on phone said his experience while in captivity showed his driver who was taken with him may have been part of the plan.
According to him “from the point I was taken while trying to take my coffee before going to bed, to the point I was taken to Emene and then to the forest between emene and Ebonyi state, it became obvious he was in the plan.
“Initially they were demanding for ransom in the neighborhood of N25 million, they even came down to two million but I can tell you clearly that the police did a huge job to get me out. To God be the Glory, I am out, hale and hearty.
“I was rescued by the police. My driver was part of it; they said he brought the business. I can tell you, Police when they want to work, they work. After all the rigmarole, I was tortured, I was beaten but I just said why do you strike me? The driver was there, they beat him too but I don’t know if it is the same type of beating they gave me.
“But one funny thing is that for three days I was blindfolded, but they didn’t blindfold the driver. He was the driver who took us out to the bush, he was driving. And this is a young man, he had no job, I just employed him,â€.
