LAGOS FEBRUARY 25TH (URHOBOTODAY)-A first cousin of President Goodluck Jonathan, Chief Inengite Nitabai has been kidnapped by gunmen numbering about 10, who broke his house in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to Akinobeh Jin, sister of the abductee’s wife, the armed men laid siege on the sprawling compound located just before Otuoke Bridge, off Otu-Okpoti-Ogbia Road at about 9pm, and without a single gunshot identified their target, who has been acting like President Jonathan’s father since the passing on of his biological father.
“We came back from somewhere around 8pm. Silas was at the verandah doing his assignment while my in-law, my sister and two other siblings were in the living room together”, Jin said.
“After a while, Silas came shouting, saying that some people had just entered the the compound. As we sprang on our feet, we were confused because we didn’t know where to run to”.
She recalled that soon after, five heavily armed men entered into the house, barking orders to everyone.
“We ran into the kitchen and some of them followed us to the kitchen. They asked us to lie down. They hit my sister on the head and asked her to give them money”, she continued.
“They also hit my in-law with the butt of their guns and demanded money. They threatened to shoot us. My sister told them she had small money and they followed her to the bedroom where she gave them N400,000”.
The gunmen then sped away with their victim into a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) belonging to the victim. She also recalled that five of the kidnappers waited outside to guard the compound during the operation, while five others went inside.
A detachment of the Joint Task Force (JTF) codenamed Operation Pulo Shield joined other policemen in an early visit to the compound, while sympathisers trooped in and out of the compound.
Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara and Deputy Commander, JTF, Commodore Ime Ekpa both visited the crime scene, the latter revealing that two gunboats had been stationed at the Onuebum waterside while policemen were also patrolling the Edebiri, Kiambiri, Anyama and Ogobiri creeks.
Media Coordinator of JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu confirmed the incident, saying the gunmen abandoned the victim’s car at the Onuebum community waterfront, which meant that they may have escaped with the abductee through Onuebum waterways.
“Information available to me is that a certain Chief Nengite Nitabai was abducted by about 10 gunmen yesterday at about 9pmat Otuoke community in Ogbia LGA using his private vehicle”, Nwachukwu said.
“The vehicle was later recovered at Onuebum community waterfront. Deputy Commander, JTF, Commodore Ime Ekpa and a team of security agents have visited the crime scene and investigation is in progress to unmask the kidnappers and rescue the victim”
Source: African Examiner