Popular native doctor Chidozie Nwangwu aka “Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki” regains freedom after allegedly paying N350 million to kidnappers.
‘Akwa Okuko tiwara aki’ which means (an egg that breaks palm nut), was kidnapped by gunmen in Oba, Idemili North local government area of Anambra State on Sunday night 23rd July, in one of his hotels.
The native doctor who is believed to possess power of disappearance could not disappear when gunmen came for him, he spent six days in the kidnappers den.
Akwa Okuko, who is regarded as one of the strongest and richest native doctor was kidnapped in Triple P Hotel, which is one of the three hotels he built in Oba and two of his personal aides were shot dead.
The Anambra State Police spokesman, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed his release on Saturday morning.
Ikenga who didn’t want to disclose the amount the abductors collected said: “I have the information that his abductors have contacted friends and relatives and demanded 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 between N200 million and N300million. We are making efforts to get in touch with him and also get accurate information surrounding his abduction.
“Yes, he has been released this morning. We are waiting to debrief him, with a view to getting his experience and clue of who the abductors are, so that we can go after them.”
A source said: “He was released very early this morning. He is currently celebrating with his friends and well-wishers in his house in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area”
“His friends rallied round and raised the money for the abductors, but they demanded an additional N50 million, which was also delivered to them before he was released.”
Recounting his experience in the hands of his kidnappers, Akwa Okuko Tiwaraki said: “Let me tell you all what happened. While I was in the kidnappers’ den, I listened to the radio and saw how people were speaking all kinds of rubbish, so I decided to set the record straight.
“What really happened was that I was there (at home) that day, at around 11:30, when someone named Okey Japan called me and said there 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, gunshot rented the air. People started running Helter Skelter. I now went out to see what 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 two things can only save a man. If your charms don’t 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 will 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 are clean. What I did was to save many souls. If you think they took me because I ate people’s money, but let me tell you I did not. If I eat your money, come to me I will give you money because I have money.
“People may be rejoicing that it happened to me, but let me tell you, if the death that killed the rich, encounters the poor, it will crush him.
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,” the native doctor said.
