March 31, 2022

The Police Command in Delta says it is intensifying efforts to ensure that the recently-abducted journalist and others in the state are rescued unhurt.

The spokesman of the state command, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Warri.

Edafe also said that no arrest has been made in connection with the crime.

“Effort is on to ensure that the abducted journalist and others are rescued unhurt and the hoodlums are apprehended and brought to book.

“So far, no arrest has been made,” he said.

It will be recalled that gunmen, suspected to be herders, on Monday evening kidnapped Mr. Julius Osahon, the Guardian Correspondent in Bayelsa, and several other persons.

The victims were reported to have been coming from Bayelsa when the 18-Seater bus they were traveling with was waylaid by the hoodlums at the Evweri axis of the East-West Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta.

A reliable source said that the driver of the bus, belonging to a popular transport company in Warri, was shot in the head and he died instantly.

The kidnappers have reportedly established contact with the journalist’s wife and are demanding N5 million ransom for his release.

A survivor of the attack, Mr. Lucky Egboyi, on Tuesday told journalists in Warri that they were returning from Bayelsa when they ran into the hoodlums.

“It was a narrow escape for me and a few others because we had to run into the bush,” he said.

Meanwhile, Osahon and the other victims have spent four days in the kidnappers den. (NAN)