Security agents comprising police, navy and members of newly inaugurated Bayelsa Volunteers have launched a massive search and rescue operation to secure the release of the three abducted Ducth nationals along the creeks of Letugbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.
This is coming on the heels of the demand by the abductors of the three Dutch nationals, for the payment of N500million ransom.
The abducted Dutch nationals have been identified as Mr. Erhard Leffers, Mrs. Marianne Vos and Mr. Jan Andre Groenendijk.
The rescue operation, which is being managed by a special security team of Ijaw youth and policemen is expected to deploy necessary tact and intelligence gathering among indigenes of coastal communities in Delta and Bayelsa states.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hillary Okpara while speaking to journalists Wednesday in Yenagoa, denied the reported arrest of the two Nigerian-born Dutch nationals, Mr. Femi Soewu and Mr Sunny Ofehe.
Okpara simply said they were invited by the police for an interview to get more information about the mood and utterances of the kidnappers.
According to Okpara, four persons were invited by the police for interrogation, including the organizer of the ill-fated trip and founder of an indigenous non-governmental organization known as Dodo Rovers Regional Development Association, Hon. Barry Legrise, and an indigene of Letugbene community, Chief Benson Dodoru.
Okpara said that out of the four persons invited, the duo of Femi Soewu and Sunny Ofehe were released alongside Barry Legrise, “but 42-year old Benson Dodoru is yet to be released due to the role he played.”
The police commissioner, however, frowned at the failure of the organizer of the trip and the Dutch nationals to inform the police in Delta and Bayelsa states about the ill-fated trip.
“I want you to know that they came without alerting the security agencies. We would have provided adequate security. We warn individuals and organisations against embarking on such trip without informing the police and other security agencies,” the police chief said.
Meanwhile, the Bayelsa State Government, has in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Bernard Kenebai, condemned the abduction of the Dutch nationals, describing it as unfortunate.
According to Kenebai, though the decision of the organizer of the ill-fated trip and the Dutch nationals not to inform the security agencies was wrong and irresponsible, the state government, in partnership with security agencies, will secure their release.
“We consider the ill-fated trip as unfortunate due to the fact that the state has not experienced it for a while.
“We also want to place on record that the expatriates embarked on the journey without proper security arrangement. We feel strongly against it due to the fact that Bayelsa is a safe place. We have said if anyone or visitors are going to an isolated area, they should inform security agencies, and get adequate protection. It is not fair that they embarked on a dangerous adventure without informing the security agencies. It is an avoidable security breach, if the right security measure had been taken,” he said.
In another development, Bayelsa State Government has noted with regret, the unfortunate incident of the kidnap of three Dutch nationals at Letugbene community in Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.
The government stated that the three Dutch nationals were escorted into the Niger Delta, through Warri in Delta State, by a non—government organisation (NGO), without any prior notice to the governments and security agencies of both Bayelsa and Delta states, not until they were abducted by the gunmen.
However, the Bayesla State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has assured the Dutch Ambassador to Nigeria, John Groffen that, everything humanly possible was being done to secure the release of the three Dutch nationals.
The governor, who gave the assurance when the ambassador visited him at the Bayelsa House in Abuja, expressed regret over the incident, adding that, the government in collaboration with security agencies is working round the clock to ensure the safe release of the victims.
Meanwhile, fishermen have recovered the corpse of the former chairman of Amatu 2 Community Development Committee (CDC) in Ekeremor Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, Paul Esebele, who was allegedly shot dead by pirates.
The corpse, which was already decomposing, was discovered along river routes to Bilabiri Community in the same local government area, three days after he was killed.
Esebele, reports said, was shot in the groin by pirates during the last Sunday’s abduction of three Dutch nationals and two Nigerians along the Letugbene axis of the coastline local government area.
The 34-year old former CDC chairman, who is married with children, said alleged to be among the team in a back-up boat to the one conveying the Dutch nationals and Nigerian journalists, before he was hit by a bullet fired the pirates.
It was alleged that the pirates had, after abducting their victims, began shooting sporadically, and a bullet hit him at the groin while in the boat. The boat capsized shortly after he had plunged into the water.
An eyewitness said: “while many of the occupants of the ill-fated boat swam to safety, the former CDC boss was nowhere to be found.”
However, fishermen from Bilabiri community found the decomposing body floating.
When contacted on the development, the spokesman of the state Police Command, Mr.Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the report, saying that the corpse has been removed to the morgue, while police investigations are ongoing.