7th February, 2016
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Police Command successfully rescued Mr. Austin Ajah and Mrs. Winifred Frank in the early hours of Sunday, precisely at about 1.15 am in hideout of a suspected kidnapper, Onyekachi Okpara.
The victims were kidnapped on Saturday, 6 February at about 6:19 p.m. near Siat Palm Farm in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State.
According to Ahmad Muhammad, the Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer in a statement he issued in Port Harcourt, the two victims “were returning from Owerri to Port Harcourt after attending a wedding when kidnappers ambushed them and whisked them away.”
A patriotic citizen who witnessed the incident informed the police that kidnappers had whisked away two victims and abandoned their vehicle, a Lexus SUV RX 300 by the roadside.
He said that “the police after recovering the vehicle got information that the victims were blind-folded and locked up in the house of Onyekachi Okpara, who is the leader of the gang in Omerelu town. They quickly mobilised and stormed the house at about 1:15 am of today (Sunday February 7,2016), and rescued the victims and arrested Kingsley Bassey, 23, who was guarding the victims.
“A big locally made revolver pistol with four live cartridges were recovered from him. Interrogation of Kingsley Bassey led to the subsequent arrest of his six other accomplices namely: Nduzi Igoni, 25, Ogechi Onyeso, 24, Godbless John, 24, Saturday Isaiah, 22, Gabriel Dimgba, 26, and Onyekachi Okpara, 25.”
Muhammad said the rescued victims described their ordeal in captivity as a horrible moment which they would not wish even their enemies to experience.
They expressed their appreciation to the police for promptly coming to their rescue and called for continued cooperation of members of the public with the police by providing timely and reliable information.
The PPRO said that the suspects would be charged to court immediately after conclusion of the ongoing investigation.