Judge survives kidnap attempt, driver missing

A judge at the Court of Appeal, Owerri, Justice Rita Pemu, on Sunday survived a kidnap attempt in Anambra State.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Owerri Branch, Chinedu Agu, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in the Imo State capital.

He said the incident occurred along Azia-Orsumoghu-Ihiala road in Anambra State, adding that the judge’s driving was still missing.

.Agu said: “On Sunday, February 20, 2022, the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeal while traveling to Owerri from Benin City was kidnapped along Azia-Orsumoghu-Ihiala road at about 11:00 a.m.

“When the Chairman of the Bar, J.I. Ogamba and the Secretary, Chinedu Agu, paid the Lordship a visit at 5:00 p.m. today, the Secretariat gathered that the kidnappers double-crossed the Lordship’s vehicle, disembarking her and ordering her to prostrate on the road while pointing guns menacingly on her head.

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“Justice Pemu, who was rather in her Hiace Bus instead of her SUV and was dressed in a simple, spartan and free-flowing gown was mistaken by the kidnappers as one of ‘oga’s stewards’, as they kept demanding to know in which car their ‘oga’ (boss) was.

“While she was marched into a thick forest, one of the kidnappers, the Secretariat gathered, was boasting that he would have wasted their oga if he were there.

“As the Lordship was marched into the bush-like a death-destined sheep to the slaughter, gunshots and concomitant cries of anguish pervaded the bush, which heightened her apprehension.

“As of the time of filing this report, her official cars, driver and personal property inside the car are yet to be found.”

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