I sold my landed property to regain freedom from E-money’s captivity — Politician

An Enugu based politician , Tochukwu Okeke who was a victim of kidnap Kingpin ,Collins Ezenwa (aka E-money ) has told how he sold his landed property to raise money for his freedom .

E-money as he was called in the underworld was recently killed in a shoot out with the Imo State Police Command. Okeke had reported his kidnap case to the operatives of the Inspector -General of Police Intelligence Response Team, IRT, who were investigating the case and in the process, recovered properties and money from the deceased .
Okeke in an interview said that, E-money and members of his gang abducted him at Nnsuka area of Enugu State, on his way back from Abuja .
He said he was blindfolded before he was taken into the forest where he was kept for six days before the ransom of $2million (N700million) was paid as ransom .

He said while in captivity, he instructed his lawyer to sell off one of his landed properties located in New-layout, an upscale area of Enugu and depleted his domiciliary account. According to him, the funds were meant for his children’s school fees, in Canada.
Okeke, who is still thanking God for saving him said he escaped being killed by the whiskers as he was seriously beating by E-money and his boys.
He said E-money also gave orders that he should be killed on the fifth night he slept in the camp if his relatives failed to pay the ransom.
“ This wasn’t the first time I have been kidnapped, but I can’t explain the level of dexterity E-money showed when he kidnapped me and he ended up making me pay $2million as ransom to him. When I was kidnapped in 2013 in my house the kidnappers took only N6 million from me and I was released.

Though they demanded N15million and we had an agreement that would pay off the balance after my release. They didn’t torture or maltreat me the way E-money and his boys did, but after I was released, I had meetings with security operatives in Enugu State and I was advised to keep on communicating with kidnappers since they wanted their balance. I followed the advice and at the end of the day all the kidnappers were arrested and their rifles recovered. When E-money kidnapped me, I was blindfolded all days and nights . I was beaten seriously ,so I crying and begging my family to sell my properties and raise money for my freedom. We were able to raise the $2million after selling my properties and depleting my bank accounts.

After I regained freedom, I reached out to the police operatives who arrested Evans the celebrated kidnap kingpin in Lagos. I was in Lagos to brief them and they started investigating the case. For six months they trailed E-money with the phone number which was used for the negotiation I discovered that I wasn’t the only victim that was hunting for him because he was showing up in a various location at a different time. Luckily, the news came in from Imo State that E-money has been killed by the police in that state and I went to the police and identified his corpse.
Okeke explained further that he later learned that E-money has several properties in Enugu State which he acquired after he was kidnapped.

He said E-money’s wife also took the IRT to court for seizing his properties as well as freezing her husband’s bank accounts.
” I am convinced that my money was used to acquire some property. Since the mater is in court and I have an established case that my money was used by E-money to buy a four-story building. I approached the tenants, and told them that they would have to start paying rent to me , but they didn’t pay . They took advantage of the legal battle between E-money’s family and the police to live in the house for free.

I approached and narrated my story as a victim who wanted his money recovered and since the matter is in court, it would be proper for them to pay their rent so that the money could be used to settle victims of E-money pending when the matter is settled in court. They requested for a lawyer who entered an understanding with them that the money should be kept in an account that will be monitored by the lawyer and after the matter is decided it will be handover to the court or the government who would direct how I would be settled. There was no way I would have folded my hands and watch people live in a property bought with my sweat for free when the case his not been decided. I want my money back “, he concluded .