BEVERLY HILLS, October 17, (THEWILL) – A five-man armed gang of suspected militants have stormed Enukorowa creek community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State, whisking away four foreign missionaries in the process.
The missionaries are: Dr. David Donavan, Chilly Donavan, Alana (surname unknown), and Tyan (surname unknown) who have been engaged in preaching, and giving free medical treatment in the area in the last three years.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Zanna Ibrahim, who addressed journalists on Tuesday in Asaba, the state capital, however stated that an anti-kidnapping team was already on the trail of the suspects.
He added that the kidnap may not be unconnected with the current onslaught against militant activities embarked upon by the military through “Operation Crocodile Smile”, assuring however that efforts were being made in conjunction with the Joint Taskforce, JTF, towards rescuing the victims.
The Police Commissioner went on to parade no few than 43 kidnap/robbery/murder suspects before journalists, stating that the crime rate which used to be very high in the state had declined considerably.
He said the successes that had been recorded over the years were made possible by efforts from intelligence gathering, revealing that four kidnap suspects were recently arrested in connection with the kidnap of one Ruth Edemagbata, a 19-year-old resident of Isioghe Street, Ozoro.
Ibrahim said on July 19, one Felicia Oyibo, the mother of the victim, Ruth Edemogbata, returned from market with her Toyota Rav 4 with registration number KSF182DC, and when her daughter (victim) came out of their house to welcome her, a kidnap syndicate accosted them at gun point and kidnapped her into the Rav 4 SUV, before they zoomed off to an unknown destination.
“We intensified search for the kidnappers, and three persons, Friday Joe, Rukevwe Emeka and Oghenevo Odirome were arrested by Eagles-net Patrol Team of the police in connection with the case, and the suspects, upon interrogation, confessed to committing the crime and made useful statements to the police that led to the arrest of members of the earlier mentioned gang,” he added.
He continued that some suspects had been arrested in connection with the kidnap of a certain 64-year-old Emeka Chimaokwu in Housing Estate, Asaba.
The police boss stated that Chimaokwu was kidnapped by unknown armed men along Idumuje Unor Road, Issele-Uku. He said the police, acting on a tip-off, tracked the victim’s phone and a suspect from Kogi State who was arrested confessed upon interrogation to the crime and mentioned the names of his gang members.
He disclosed that the suspects led the investigating team to the bush where the decomposing body of the victim was found hidden with bamboo leaves inside a forest at Atuma Quarters, Idumuje-Unor after he was strangled to death. The body of the victim has been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Asaba for autopsy.
The suspects were said to have also confessed to the kidnap of one Engineer Charles Chukwuemeka Eze on May 22, 2017 along Idumuje-Unor -Idumuje-Ugboko Road, and Rev Fr. Andrew Annah of the Sacred Catholic Church, Obomkpa on August 8 along Obomkpa-Issele Uku Road.
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