WRITTEN BY DOMINIC ADEWOLE, ASABA & JOE OGBODU, WARRI
THE newly-married brother of the Speaker of Delta State House of Assembly, Chief Victor Ochei, and an expatriate worker of the Asaba Aluminum Company were yesterday kidnapped in Asaba, the Delta State capital.
Two other persons, whose identities are still uncertain, were also whisked away by the kidnappers who raided the metropolis, wielding dangerous weapons.
Besides, gunmen have seized the Area Manager of the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), Warri, Mr. William Enoh.
The gunmen also killed his Mobile Police orderly, just as they invaded the Warri Central Hospital where they abducted a medical doctor.
The Nigerian Compass gathered that the kidnapping gang had been trailing the Speaker’s brother who got married a fortnight ago.
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Charles Muka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the raid yesterday, said the command had spread its tentacles to arrest the hoodlums and free their captives.
Muka, however, denied knowledge of the kidnap of the two other victims, but a top government functionary in the state lamented that Delta has been under a kidnapping siege since the beginning of this year, wondering whether the hoodlums terrorising Edo State have all relocated to Delta.
An eyewitness told the Nigerian Compass that the hoodlums stormed the Biose Matthew Avenue, DLA Road home of the Indian and forcefully seized him sandwiched in the car they came with, having shot sporadically into the air to scare away people.
The hoodlums allegedly trailed the Indian to his home after he closed from work.
His whereabouts are still unknown as at the time of filing this report.
Eno was seized on the Abraka-Eku Road on Saturday, sources said.
Details of the PPMC area manager's kidnap were still sketchy as at press time, but sources said his captors were asking for N50 million ransom.
Also Warri Central Hospital has been shut down in protest over the alleged kidnap of a medical doctor.
The victim was reportedly kidnapped at the weekend at her home and taken to unknown destination.
A similar incident led to the closing down of the State University (DELSU), Abraka, a few weeks ago after a lecturer in the Faculty of Management Science (names withheld) and another senior worker were seized by unidentified gunmen
The university was only reopened last week after the victims were reportedly released by their captors.
The whereabouts of the Warri Central Hospital Doctor, Ngozi Chibuikem, remained unknown as at press time yesterday.
Her captors were said to be demanding for N100 million ransom.
Yesterday, medical personnel in Warri and its environs downed tools in protest over the abduction.
One of them, who preferred anonymity, said yesterday that the strike was in protest over the precarious state of insecurity in the state.
He said people now live with fear in the state with the government and security agents doing little or nothing to help the situation.
There were no doctors on duty to attend to patients, some of who were seen leaving the hospital yesterday, when our correspondent visited the facility.
Among those who left disappointed were pregnant women who on daily basis visit the hospital for the government's free maternal care programme.
A relative of one of the patients said: “Some of us have decided to carry our people to other hospitals for treatment because we cannot watch them die here.” Unconfirmed report said that two patients died on their way home yesterday, as they could not get immediate treatment and could not afford the exorbitant charges of private hospitals.
A few workers who were carrying skeletal services and at the emergency unit were seen discussing the kidnap saga in hush tones amid apprehension.
The kidnaps came a few days after gunmen seised 102 years old mother of the paramount ruler of Mosogar, Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.
Mrs. Okpa Omene was abducted by a six-man gang in her Ugbomoya waterside village, near Jesse, about 7p.m. on Wednesday, last week, and bundled into a black Audi 80 Station Wagon car after which the kidnappers demanded for N100 million ransom.
She was eventually released on Sunday, allegedly after the payment of some undisclosed sum but the police said no ransom was paid.
The incident is also coming barely a week after gunmen abducted a freelance journalist and former media aide to the Chairman of the State Oil Producing Area Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Chief Wellington Okirika.
Besides, the wife of a serving Commissioner in-charge of Basic and Primary Education, Mr. Patrick Muoboghare, was abducted at her Abraka home, but was later released after the reported payment of ransom.
As the last count, over 30 persons have been abducted in various locations in the state, including the mother of the Commissioner for Oil and Gas, Professor Mofe Pira, who was released allegedly after the payment of ransom.
The new state Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, said he has declared 'war' against the kidnappers, saying Delta was indeed under the siege of criminals.
Meanwhile, a decomposing corpse is posing an epidemic threat to residents of Osadenis High School Way, Asaba.
It was said to have spent eight days along the street even as repeated calls to the relevant authorities were not responded to.
What led to the death of the yet-to-be-identified young man was unknown.
However, there were bruises on his head with his teeth widely open suggesting that he might have been lynched.
-Nigerian Compass
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