Gunmen Abduct 9-Month Old Infant

San Francisco Feb 05, (THEWILL) – Gunmen operating in Port Harcourt have seized a 9-month old baby girl from her family compound in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Though details of the incident are still sketchy, two gunmen entered the family home of the baby before forcefully taking her from her parents.

Police spokesperson, Rita Abbey told the media that efforts are being made by the police to make contact with the kidnappers. "Police are trying to establish contact with the gunmen through the phone number they left with the girls family, apparently to ask for a ransom," Abbey said.

Last month, gunmen seized some contract workers on their way to a Shell facility near the border between Port Harcourt and Abia State. They were released some days later after series of negotiations between them and Shell. We have not been able to independently confirm if any ransom was paid to secure their release.

Last Sunday, a PDP strongman in Akwa Ibom State and former director of the NYSC, General Edet Akpan was kidnapped during a church service in his hometown, Iwok, Nsit Atai LGA. He has not been freed.

Abductions in the Niger Delta states continue to rise posing a threat to the central government’s amnesty programme. The major militant group in the area, MEND has threatened 'an all out assault' on oil installations in the area after it called off a cease fire agreement with the central government.