Mysterious disappearance of three men after purchase of land raises suspicion as suspect walks free

Messrs Augustine Anyahie Obilo, Chi­ma Onuoha, and Innocent Njoku who were close friends who hail from Mbano and Nwangele Lo­cal Government Area of Imo State . They all resides Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital where they engaged in various business activities.

With the believe that in­vesting in landed property will help preserve their fami­lies future given the volatile business environment. They the three friends had em­barked on journey from their base in Port Harcourt to buy plots of land at Oyigbo a sub­urb near the capital city.

Augustine, Chima and In­nocent who were full of life were traders at the Rumu­woji Mile one market, the had reportedly bought plots of land from one Mrs Grace Odinaka, resident at Obeama community in Oyigbo, some time in 2014.

Few months after the pur­chase of the land, the three friends who bought their land separately from the same source later learnt that the land was in dispute.

Following the notoriety of sad tales involving land trans­actions in Oyigbo, the friends were some how afraid of mounting c pressurise on woman to refund their mon­ey, they opted to be shown al­ternative land in spite of the rumours that many people have allegedly lost their lives in the processes of arguing over land in the area.

The AUTHORITY gath­ered that three years later, precisely on February 2, 2017. the said land vendour ( Mrs Grace Odinnaka) put a call through her mobile phone inviting the three young men who are all newly married to come to Obeama to col­lect the Deed of Conveyance on the land she sold to them, assuring them that the dis­pute on the land had been resolved.

The three friends excited about the development and the possibility of recovering their investment in the land transaction, they embarked on the journey to Obeama on February 2 and that was the last time they were seen by their family.

All efforts made by the wives, relatives and friends of the victims for their re­lease seems to be fruitless, as Grace who was seen as prime suspect to their missing have been set free, even from the court of justice.

The family members of the victims on discovering that may not see their brothers again decided to reported the matter to the Afam police station. But on arrival at the Police Station the discovered that the sons of Grace had earlier entered complaint that the trio were missing even be­fore it came to the knowledge of their families.

When they could not rec­oncile the report of missing person and a fresh com­plaints they wanted to lodge at Afam Police Stattion the family member went to Mini-Okoro police station in Port Harcourt, where the the suspected land vendour and her sons were later charged to court.

The suspect, Grace Odinaka and his two sons, Chinonso Ifeanyi and Ifeanyi Ifeanyi were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate court sit­ting in Port Harcourt on Feb­ruary 28, 2017 over alleged conspiracy and kidnapping.

The matter which was dis­missed by the trial magistrate, I.O Agbesor on February 16 was registered in suit number Pmc/408c/17, with Inspector Tom Ledornun as the pros­ecutor in the case.

The charge states: “That you Grace Odinaka, Chinon­so Ifeanyi, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi and others at large on the 14th day of February, 2017 at Obeama community Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District did conspire to com­mit felony to wit: Kidnap­ping and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A of Criminal Code

Cap 37 Vol. II, Laws of Riv­ers State 1999.

“That you Grace Odinaka, Chinonso Ifeanyi, Ifeanyi If­eanyi and others at large on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial Dis­trict did kidnap one Chima Onuoha, Augustine Anyahie Obilo and Innocent Njoku and unlawfully imprisoned them in such a manner as to prevent their relations or any other person entitled to have access to them from discov­ering the place where they were imprisoned and thereby committed an offence pun­ishable under Section 1 (1) (2) (b) of the Rivers State Kid­nap (Prohibition) Laws No 5 0f 2015.” - The Authority