Police Confirm Release Of Abducted UNIPORT Lecturer

The Rivers State Police Command have confirmed the rescued of a Lecturer in the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies at the University of Port Harcourt, Choba, Rivers State, Dr. Joe Ayuwo, who was abducted four weeks ago along Bori Road by unknown gunmen while returning from a function in Andoni Local Government Area of the state.
A statement signed the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Nnamdi Omoni, and made available to The Tide in Port Harcourt, yesterday, said the university lecturer was taken hostage on February 21, and had been in captivity until his release at about 2200hrs, yesterday.
According to the statement, “His release was made possible due largely to the intense and relentless pressure mounted by the police, who had before now, through technical intelligence, spotted their location and was closing in on them. The kidnappers, on seeing the red flag, abandoned the victim and took to flight.
“He is currently receiving medical attention and will soon reunite with his family and friends”, Omoni added.
“It would be recalled that since the abduction of the Traditional Ruler of Ikuru Town, Chief Aaron Ikuru, and the university don both from the same LGA, the same day, the police in synergy with other security agencies had been working assiduously to ensure their unconditional release with careful deployment of tact and diplomacy in the operations, while avoiding bloody confrontation that could have led to fatalities”, the statement added.
The statement further said that with the release of the lecturer, the coast is now clear for the release of the traditional ruler, as all energies would now be channelled towards ensuring his captors set him free.
The statement, however, stated that the state Commissioner of Police, Friday Eboka was appealing to members of the public to remain calm as the command, was poised to rid the state of the menace posed by the criminal elements.
The Tide reports that the Head of Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies at the University of Port Harcourt was released by his abductors after spending four weeks in captivity.