Abducted Imo monarch, Eze Joel Udenkwo, the traditional ruler of Umudi in Nkwere Local Government Area of the state, has escaped from captivity.
Eze Joel Udenkwo, who narrated how he escaped from his abductors on Monday, at a forest in Okwu, Ikeduru council area, said he took advantage of the dizziness of some of the hoodlums and escaped.
Eze Joel Udenkwosaid: “I was tied on my leg and hand, but I pleaded that they should have mercy on me and, at least, untie my hands, they obliged me and untied my hands.
“This was when they were eagerly waiting for the N200 million ransom which they later reduced to N12 million. I still told them I didn’t have money, but they insisted I must pay the ransom. While they were waiting for the money to be sent, one of the abductors went to sleep, while the other went to smoke Indian hemp.
“When I noticed that the two men were nowhere around me, I carefully untied myself, quietly crawled and left the place. I managed to run as fast as I could in the forest through the bush, while they searched for me without knowing the route I took.
“I later found myself in a house nearby, where I called out the occupants whom I narrated my ordeal to and begged them to help me call a monarch around the community, after identifying myself as a monarch, this was happening at about 10pm.”
He said the natives of the place later helped him to contact the police who came and rescued him from the place.
However, when contacted, the police image maker in the state, Michael Abattam, confirmed the monarch’s escape.
“Yes, we are aware of his escape. We had to quickly swing into action when we heard the distress call where he was and rescued him unhurt,” Abattam said.