Kidnapped Imo monarch escapes from abductors’ den

Joel Nwankwo, the traditional ruler of Isiala Umudi in the Nkwerre Local Government Area of Imo State, has escaped from his abductors.

The monarch was said to have escaped from Okwu forest in the Ikeduru LGA of the state where he was taken to by his abductors.

A source close to the monarch said that the monarch who was abducted last Friday in front of his office at Tetlow Road in Owerri, the state capital, has reunited with his family.

His abductors had called his family 48 hours after his kidnap and demanded N200m as ransom.

The source said his abductors had reduced the ransom to N12m before he “miraculous” escaped from the den of the kidnappers on Tuesday.

The source said, “By the grace of God His Royal Highness has escaped from the den of his kidnappers. He took the advantage of the lapses of his abductors at Okwu forest in Ikeduru Local Government Area to run away. By the grace of God help came his way in the process and he is home now.

“They had made a demand of N200m and later reduced it to N12m before he miraculously escaped. His two phones are with them.”

The spokesperson for the police in the state, Micheal Abattam, had yet to respond to the inquiry concerning the development.