Suspected
militants have kidnapped four missionaries in Delta State.The Police
Commissioner, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, who addressed journalists yesterd
ay in Asaba,
said an anti-kidnapping team was already on the trail of the suspects.
He explained
that intelligence revealed that the kidnappers, a five-man armed gang stormed
Enukorowa creek community in Burutu Local Government Area and kidnapped four
foreign missionaries. They are Dr. David Donavan, Chilly Donavan, Alana
(surname unknown), and Tyan (surname unknown) who were engaged in preaching,
and giving free medical treatment in the area in the last three years.
The police
commissioner added that the kidnap may not be unconnected with the current
onslaught on militant activities embarked upon by the military in their
“Operation Crocodile Smile”, saying that efforts were being made in conjunction
with the Joint Taskforce (JTF) towards rescuing the victims.
Meanwhile,
with no few than 43 kidnap/robbery/ murder suspects paraded before journalists,
the police commissioner said that the crime rate which used to be very high in
the state had declined considerably, noting that successes that had been
recorded over the years were made possible by efforts from intelligence
gathering.The police disclosed that four kidnap suspects were recently arrested
in connection with the kidnap of one Ruth Edemagbata, a 19-year-old resident of
Isioghe Street, Ozoro.
The police
boss explained that on July 19, one Felicia Oyibo, the mother of the victim,
Ruth Edemogbata, returned from market with her Toyota Rav 4 Jeep with
registration number KSF182DC, and when her daughter (victim) came out of their
house to welcome her, a kidnap syndicate accosted them at gun point and
kidnapped her into the Rav 4 Jeep, before they zoomed off to an unknown
destination.
“We
intensified search for the kidnappers, and three persons, Friday Joe, Rukevwe
Emeka and Oghenevo Odirome were arrested by Eagles-net Patrol Team of the
police in connection with the case, and the suspects, upon interrogation,
confessed to committing the crime and made useful statements to the police that
led to the arrest of members of the earlier mentioned gang,” the police chief
added.
He said that
some suspects had been arrested in connection with the kidnap of one Emeka
Chimaokwu (64) in Housing Estate, Asaba.According to Ibrahim, Chimaokwu was
kidnapped by unknown armed men along Idumuje Unor Road, Issele-Uku. He said the
police, acting on a tip-off, tracked the victim’s phone and a suspect from Kogi
State who was arrested confessed upon interrogation to the crime and mentioned
the names of his gang members.
According to
Ibrahim, the suspects led the investigating team to the bush where the
decomposing body of the victim was found hidden with bamboo leaves inside a
forest at Atuma Quarters, Idumuje-Unor after he was strangled to death. The body
of the victim has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba for
autopsy.
The suspects
were said to have also confessed to the kidnap of one Engineer Charles
Chukwuemeka Eze on May 22, 2017 along Idumuje-Unor -Idumuje-Ugboko Road, and Rev
Fr. Andrew Annah of the Sacred Catholic Church, Obomkpa on August 8 along
Obomkpa-Issele Uku Road.
On robbery,
the police commissioner said that three persons all of Nnamdi Block Industry,
Express Road Issele-Uku were arrested in connection with a robbery attack on
one Chibueze Okocha (40) of Idumuje-Unor.
One of the
suspects reported at Issele-Uku Divisional Police headquarters that the manager
of his filing station along Benin/Asaba Expressway, Issele-Uku, whose name he
gave as Chibueze Okocha was found dead behind the filling station, and that the
only guard on duty absconded with his belongings overnight to far away Langtang
in Plateau State. He said that two of the suspects had made confessional
statements admitting that they committed the crime and were under
investigation.
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