Victim drowns in bid to escape from kidnappers

A kidnapped victim yesterday drowned in Port Harcourt, minutes after his abduction   with five others-four Thais and one Nigerian. Read more

The Nigerian got drowned  after jumping into a river in his bid to escape from his abductors.

The kidnapped persons and the deceased were on their way to work at the Rivers State Government-owned, Israeli-run Mega Fish Farm in Buguma, headquarters of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state when the kidnappers struck.

Time was about 7am.

As soon as the deceased jumped into the water,the kidnappers  quickly pushed the other Nigerian out of their get-away boat and sped away with the Thais.

The Rivers Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mrs. Angela Agabe, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the kidnap, but was yet to get a formal situation report from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Buguma, as at press time.

The Rivers Commissioner of Agriculture, Emmanuel Chinda, said the six workers were accosted by the armed men, who forced them into another boat .

He attributed the abduction to  “ the insecurity, which has pervaded Rivers state recently.”

He said: “ The boys (kidnappers) had before now, discontinued all these acts of aggression and crime, until they became emboldened by the fact that security is out of the state government’s hand and that they have superiority over the security agents.

“Now, the danger is that they are all coming out of their hiding and terrorising people of the state.

“The hoodlums feel emboldened to do this because they believe the police are now their friends. The militants recently protested on the streets of Port Harcourt in support of Mbu Joseph Mbu (Rivers Commissioner of Police).

“Now, they have the idea that they have the police on their side and that they can resume crimes without consequences. Buguma had been calm before now; you can see that the situation is gradually degenerating into something sad.”

The Buguma fish farm, according to the operators, is one of the biggest  in the country.

It is  being managed by an Israeli company, Omida Farms, with Nigerians, Israelis and Thais, among others.