The Chairman of Umunkaru Autonomous Community in Abia State, Okechukwu Ezeibe, has provided fresh details about a recent kidnapping incident in the area, explaining how a victim’s phone call helped alert residents and led to a rapid community response against the abductors.
Ezeibe shared the account during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, where he discussed the circumstances surrounding the abduction and the actions taken by local youths and vigilante groups after receiving indications that members of the community had been taken hostage.
Speaking during the interview, Ezeibe explained that a major breakthrough occurred when one of the abducted individuals was instructed by the kidnappers to contact family members and relay their demand for payment.
Recalling the moment, he said:“When they said they should bring N10 million. So the young man started using Igbo to call his brothers.”The chairman explained that although the kidnappers allowed the victim to make the call in order to facilitate negotiations for the ransom, they apparently did not fully understand the significance of what was being communicated in the Igbo language.
According to Ezeibe, the victim used the opportunity to pass information in a way that immediately raised alarm among his relatives and other members of the community. Those who received the call reportedly recognised that the situation was more serious than an ordinary request for financial assistance and interpreted the conversation as a distress signal.
He stated that once the message was understood, community members wasted no time in informing local leaders, youths, and vigilante operatives. The information quickly spread through the area, prompting a coordinated response aimed at locating the victims and confronting the security threat posed by the kidnappers.
Ezeibe noted that the mobilisation demonstrated the importance of community-based security structures, particularly in areas where residents often rely on local intelligence and cooperation to respond to emergencies. He praised the vigilance of the youths and volunteer security personnel who reacted swiftly after learning about the abduction.
