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By Young E. Freeborn, Warri
Hell was again set loose as a senior staff of the Ughelli Central Hospital and others, whose identities were yet to be known, were recently kidnapped by unknown gunmen on the Ogor/Evwreni axis of the Ughelli/Patani road adjourning the East-West Road.
The senior staff of the central hospital, whose name was given as Mr. Ogenekevwe Obiriene, an indigene of Unenurhie community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was abducted and whisked away to an unknown destination by suspected kidnappers while on his way to Ughelli after a visit to his family in his hometown.
Speaking to our correspondent during a visit to the family house at Unenurhie town, a younger brother to the kidnap victim who spoke on conditions of anonymity said, “It’s a very sad news to us this morning as we heard that our elder brother was kidnapped on his way back to Ughelli, his place of work yesterday evening.
“For some time now, it was even reported by your newspapers and other media platforms, informing the public especially travellers on the road of a kidnappers’ den found in the thick forest between the Evwreni and Ogor axis of this said road. Even after this series of media reports of armed robbery attacks and kidnappings, our security agencies especially the police never showed any concern to nap the suspected criminals. Yet, they always extort money from innocent road users every day. As it’s today, the rate of kidnapping along that road is becoming increasingly high everyday without any security control by the police.”
When asked whether they, family of the victim, had been contacted by the alleged kidnappers or had any information about the whereabouts of their brother since the kidnap incidence, the young man said, “Yes, first we formerly reported the case to the Ughelli Police Station. A few days after the incidence, we now received a distress call purportedly from the alleged kidnappers demanding for a five million naira ransom to be paid before my brother would be released by them. Though, the phone wasn’t given to our brother to speak to us or his wife or children.
“As it is now, it is a very terrible situation with us to get that kind of money in this critical economic condition in the country. Therefore, we are appealing to well meaning Nigerians, Christian brothers and sisters and the Delta State government to come to our aid in order to seek freedom for our brother and other kidnapped victims suffering in the deadly forest.”
However, efforts to speak to the Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, of the Delta State police command on this recent kidnap case proved abortive as the time of filing this report.
