Police arrest 4 in Rivers over abduction of expatriate
By Isaac Job, Uyo
The police in Rivers state have arrested four suspects in connection with the abduction of an expatriate in Akwa Ibom state.
The expatriate engineer whose nationality is yet to be ascertained was working for a road construction company when he was kidnapped while two soldiers guarding him on site were shot dead by his abductors.
The incident occurred when the engineer was on routine inspection at the project site which road contract was awarded by the Akwa Ibom state government to link two council areas in the state.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that after the expatriate had spent 18 days in the kidnappers den, he was released on Friday night at the same spot where he was abducted.
“At about 8pm Friday, the hoodlums brought him (the expatriate) from the creeks in a speedboat blindfolded and dropped him at the same spot he was kidnapped. He then made calls to their project office within the community before he was picked up by heavily armed soldiers for treatment,” the eyewitness narrated.
Speaking on the development, the Clan Head of Inen, the border community between OrukAnam and Ukanafun where the incident occurred, Obong Johnson Obosi, confirmed that the abducted expatriate has been released by the abductors.
“Yes, the Chairman of OrukAnam Local Government Area, Prince Ubong Idiong called me this morning informing me that the abducted expatriate has been released by the abductors. All our clamour and press conferences begging the kidnappers to release the expatriate were not in vain,” the traditional ruler stated.
Obong Obosi said though the expatriate has been released, the council of chiefs would not rescind its decision to use traditional means of invoking curses against the perpetrators of the crime so that government can continue the development projects in the community with confidence.
“Despite the fact that the abductors have freed the expatriate, we would still meet tomorrow to explore traditional means by invoking some native injunction against the gunmen and their collaborators so that government would continue in the development projects in our community,” he vowed.
The monarch disclosed that four persons have been arrested in Port-Harcourt, including the son of a village head in connection with the kidnapping of the expatriate in the area.
He said the village head was arrested and detained, but was later released immediately the suspected son was nabbed by the police.
In a telephone interview, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Akwa Ibom state, Odiko Mcdon confirmed the arrest of the kidnap suspects and the release of the expatriate, disclosing that the expatriate was released last Friday in Port Harcourt by his abductors.
“He was released last Friday at about 9pm by his abductors. While decrying such dastardly act, the commissioner of police in the state has ordered watertight security in the state,” he added.
