A notorious kidnapper, Henry Chibueze popularly known as Vampire, yesterday, escaped from detention while he was being escorted alongside other inmates to the High Court, Owerri, Imo State.
According to a witness at the court where the incident occurred, Vampire shortly after alighting from the prison van where he arrived with other inmates was asked to sit down on the floor by a warder but he showed some resistance.
While the scuffle between him and the warder was going on, some armed men believed to be his gang who had stationed their Sport Utility Vehicle(SUV)already at the premises of the High court opened fire at their direction injuring scores of people and warders.
Vampire according to the witness took advantage of the shooting as he grabbed an AK 47 from a warder beside him and shot dead a warder who attempted to shoot him. He also shot and missed a star witness in his case before joining his gangs in the SUV vehicle they brought and escaped.
The operation which lasted for ten minutes according to another witness saw all the security agents at the premises of the court taking to their heels while the shooting lasted.
“It was terrible, those gang were already stationed at the premises of the court even before the arrival of Vampire, they were all in long Safari, and they started shooting at everybody in the court when they heard the noise between Vampire and the warders. All the security officers ran away when they were shooting, I don’t think they could stand their weapon” said the witness.
Further narrating the incident, the witness said “I saw them leaving through the back gate of the court, I think they also came from there because the soldiers were guarding the main entrance of the court, I saw Vampire leaving with them”
Another witness, said “what happened today is unimaginable, despite the presence of security men at the court, Vampire escaped, I wonder why he was able to grab a gun from the warder, if it were Nnamdi Kanu’s trial, a man without arm, hundreds of security men would be following him about”
However, the state Prison Public Relation Officer, James Madugba who addressed journalists shortly after the incident said that he is not sure if Vampire escaped after the shootout “I am not hundred percent sure if Vampire escaped after the shootout, but I know that at least five people were wounded and a warder”
Although, the state police commissioner who arrived the scene shortly after the incident declined comments, he was however seen berating his men for their negligence and porous security at the court.
Vampire,28 who confessed to high profile kidnapping and assassination in and outside the state it would be recalled, was arrested in Owerri in July, 2015 at a hotel along Onitsha/Owerri road while on a trail of a High Court judge lodged at the hotel.
