Anambra Native Doctor Regains Freedom, Says I Would Have Escaped If I Wanted To

*N350m ransom paid to kidnappers, source claims

Apopular native doctor in Anambra, Chukwudozie Nwangwu also known as “Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki” has regained his freedom one week after his abduction, allegedly after a ransom was paid

Police spokesperson in the state, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed Nwangwu’s release to The Nation.

Ikenga said the native doctor was released by his abductors in the early hours of Saturday.

Nwangwu was kidnapped around 11:30pm on Sunday, July 23 at Oba in Idemili North Local Government Area (LGA) of the state while two of his personal aides were shot dead.

A source, who claimed to be close to the victim, said his abductors demanded for N300million before he could be released.

“His friends rallied round and raised the money for the abductors, but they demanded for an additional N50million, which was also delivered to them, before he was released,” the source said.

The Police spokesperson also confirmed the demands for ransom but denied knowledge of any such payment by Nwangwu’s family.

Ikenga said: “I have information that his abductors have contacted his friends and relatives and are demanding some millions.

“I also have information that his abductors are demanding some specific amount which I have not gotten the accurate figure.

“According to speculation, they said it’s over two hundred and something million, if not N300m.”I also have information that they have not paid, I also have information that he has been released by his abductors and we are making efforts to get information behind what happened.”

While narrating his experience, he said he willingly submitted himself to his abductors to avoid more casualties after his two bodyguards were killed.

He said, “What really happened was that I was there (at home) that day, at around 11:30am, when someone called me and said they were at my hotel, and that they were spending money, and had spent close to N300,000, and that they would have wanted me to be around.

“I obliged them and drove to the hotel all by myself, in my new car. No one came with me. I was there, and not up to 30 minutes later, gunshots rented the air. People started running helter-skelter. I now went out to see what was happening, and the people started shooting at me.

“They killed two of my security men. I don’t want to reveal much now, but I know that only two things can save a man. If your charms do not save you, your money will save you.

“Anyone who has charms should have money. So the people took me into their car. If I wanted to run away, I would have run away, but I have seen those that were shot and I said if I leave, they would kill many people. A lot of people were lying down, and if I wanted to leave, they would have killed many.

“The story too would have been that the whole thing started when I came in, meaning that I was the one who brought in kidnappers. I decided to follow them to show that my hands were clean. What I did was to save many souls. If you think they took me because I ate people’s money, let me tell you I did not. If I eat your money, come to me I will give you money because I have money.”

The witch doctor also revealed that his ordeal was not unconnected with the sit-at-home exercise in the South-East region.

“This whole thing is related to this sit-at-home people, and they mentioned names of more people they will take, but it’s not something I can say now. They killed many in front of me. They killed up to 20 people before me. I did not take anyone’s money, they just came to kidnap and their target is people who have money. They wanted to kidnap as many as 50 people from my hotel that day, but I rather followed them,” he said.