How Three Dutch Nationals were Kidnapped in Niger-Delta- Comrade Sunny Ofehe
LAGOS MAY 6TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Founder and Executive Director Hope for Niger Delta Campaign (HNDC), The Netherlands, Comrade Sunny Ofehe in company of a Nigerian, Mr. Femi Soewu and three Dutch Nationals, Mr Jan Andre Groenedijk, Mrs. Marianne Vox and Mr. Erhard Leffers have decided to visit some communities in Niger Delta region to see how they can appeal to the world to ameliorate their suffering. But, unfortunately, after the visit they were kidnapped on their way back to Warri. Sunny Ofehe and Femi Soewu were later released, while the three Dutch nationals are still under incarceration. Below is the full story of how they were kidnapped as narrated by Comrade Sunny Ofehe in a press statement made available to URHOBOTODAY an online medium
Excerpt
On Sunday the 4th of May, 2014, at about 16:45, a group of heavily armed gunmen suspected to be Niger Delta militants attacked our speed boats carrying my delegation from the Netherlands which included Mr. Erhard Leffers, Mrs. Marianne Vos, Mr. Jan Andre Groenendijk and Mr. Femi Soewu, two journalists from the Warri chapter of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ and some leaders of the communities.
The incident occurred while returning back to Warri after a successful tour of the newly built Chevron facilitated GMOU hospital. The visit was primarily to see how we can help solicit international support for the hospital and the impoverished people of the Dodo River Communities in Bayelsa State.
The gunmen numbering about 10 shot sporadically into the air, water and the speed boats carrying us including Mr Berry Negerese, Chairman, Dodo River Rural Development Association operators of the NNPC/Chevron sponsored GMOU, who also facilitated the visit. Our team was well received by the people of the communities led by their traditional rulers.
Not long after we were bade farewell by the monarch, the armed gang rounded up our boats suddenly from nowhere and asked everyone to lie face down and screamed “we want the white men”. Everyone was virtually panic stricken and terrified. We laid face down and they dragged out the white people while also picking out every valuables in the boats.
Just when we thought they have gone, another boat conveying a few number of the armed men while still firing into the air ordered me and the other Nigerian, Femi from Holland into the boat and they sped off chanting some war songs.
I and Femi were later blindfolded along one of the creeks and ordered into another boat from the one they first took us with. They took us to unknown location and left us there while still under blind fold and were kept separately. Late Monday evening we were both taken away in a speedboat and brought to another unknown community where they abandoned us.
The armed men then threatened us to leave the Niger Delta region if we want to remain alive. We were able to find our way through a path to the town and called for help. Some local people ferried us to the nearby jetty from where we were taken to a place where we got a boat to the upland.
While I sympathize with the families of the remaining abducted victims, I appeal to the kidnappers to please release the other members of my team.
Comrade Sunny Ofehe
Founder/Executive Director
Hope for Niger Delta Campaign, HNDC
The Netherlands