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Rivers Police Nab Nine Kidnappers
Operatives of the
Inspector-General of Police, Special Intelligence Response Team (SIRT), in Rivers State have arrested a nine-man kidnap syndicate operating in Port Harcourt, the state capital, and its environs.
The suspects, responsible for most of the kidnappings that had occurred within GRA Phase 2, Borokiri General Area and YKC axis of Woji area, were apprehended in a five-hour raid, last Wednesday.
The state police spokesperson, DSP Omoni Nnamdi, who paraded the suspects at the weekend, said investigation on the scale of the operations of the gang was still on, adding that the police was making efforts to arrest other members of the gang who are now at large.
According to him, the raid led to the arrest of Daniel Gabriel (33), Alaso Igodo (25), Akeodi Aselemi (34), Ayibinmotei Livinus (25), Anikuroka Marshal (33), Biobele Elijah (34), Efiye Anda (34), Daniel Lessor (31) and Isaac Reuben (27), all living within the Port Harcourt metropolis.
He said, “The string of events which led to the apprehension of the nine suspects started with the abduction of a woman identified as Mrs. Okotie, who was kidnapped few weeks ago opposite the Royal House of Grace Church in Port Harcourt.
“The gang abducted her in the Mazda car they used as operational vehicle, and fortunately for her, the car broke down along the way, and the leader of the gang named Blackie, called for another vehicle, a Nissan Primera, which arrived shortly after but they did not know the police had got information about them.
“They were on their way to the Ornage Waterside when our men intercepted them. As soon as they saw us, they fled and abandoned the sick woman in the car along with one of their rifles.
“Few days after the botched kidnapping of Mrs. Okotie, SIRT operatives, who were following up on a lead, arrested Gabriel, a taxi driver, around 2pm on the same day.
“When Gabriel, an Akwa-Ibom indigene living at Navy Market, Borikiri, Port-Harcourt was taken in for questioning, he confessed that he had personally been involved in 15 kidnaps in the last few months in the state, then led the police to his house where five members of the gang were already planning another kidnap.
“We arrested five of his gang members, and from there, we proceeded to Enugu Waterfront where we arrested Anikuroka Marshal, the gang’s armourer.
“The suspects also identified Biobele Elijah and Akodi Aselemi as their spies who go around town scouting for victims. They confessed to have three AK-47 rifles, two pistols, which they use in their operations,” the spokesperson added.
According to the report, in one of the kidnaps carried out by the gang, on August 10, 2016, a pastor, Mrs. Luis Ubah and one Mr. Chika Ezenwa were abducted.
The same day, the gang kidnapped a business woman, Mrs. Ubah, in her store, they also grabbed another victim identified as Ezenwa who was with Ubah at the time, he added.
The four victims were taken by the gang to the Ndoki Estate Waterfront, and while on their way to the waterfront, the gang encountered a police team and instantly opened fire on the policemen.
Speaking further, the spokesperson said, “Inspector David Ijosi and one Corporal Dike Ledee were injured by bullets in the attack. One was hit in the leg while another was hit in the neck, and the kidnappers escaped into the Isaka creeks in Okrika.
“Soon after, the gang made contact with Ubah’s husband, Bishop Prince Ubah, from whom they demanded a N50million ransom for her freedom. During the ensuing negotiation, the ransom for the release of the bishop’s wife was reduced to N2.8million, and a place was agreed on for the family to drop the ransom.
“Few days later, they invited me to a hotel in Borikiri, and told me what they did. In April, Blackie, the gang leader, called and asked that I should meet him in his hotel. When I got there, I met other members of the gang preparing for an operation. They showed me two bags containing guns, and put it in my car. I then drove them to GRA in Port Harcourt.
“When we got there, the gang’s informant said we had missed the target, a woman, who had just left the place. While leaving, we saw a man driving a nice car, and we kidnapped him. He was taken to the Ndoki Estate Waterfront. We put him in a speed boat, and took him to a camp across the river.
“We carried out many kidnappings and that of August, 2016, when we kidnapped Mrs. Okotie, it was like God just wanted us to be caught. I had no idea what happened to my car, which I converted from a taxi cab to the gang’s operational vehicle.
“When we were intercepted by the police that day, we left one gun in the car while escaping and Blackie escaped with one other rifle. He gave it to one of our boys, who normally kept our rifles. But after I was arrested, I took the police to the boy, and they recovered the rifle and my cab,” Gabriel confessed, pleading to be pardoned.
Susan Serekara-Nwikhana
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.