The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Regains freedom

  • Abducted lecturer regains freedom

    Abducted lecturer of the Niger Delta University (NDU), Dr. Ndutimi Dudafa, has regained his freedom.

    Dudafa, a lecturer in Sociology Department, was kidnapped from his home in Gbarantoru in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa by unknown gunmen.

    He was whisked away on July 12 through the waterside close to his house.

    Dudafa said he was released last Friday by his abductors who abandoned him at the Onuebum waterfront in the Ogbia Local government area.

    He said he was blindfolded before he was dropped at the waterfront.

    The lecturer however stated his family members did not pay any ransom to secure his release.

    He, however, declined to give reasons for his abduction.

    “They dropped me at Onuebum waterfront at about 12.30am on Friday, August 16 and left. I was told no ramsom was paid by my family members.

    “I wish to thank the press and all well-wishers who played one role or the other that lead to my freedom.”

    The elder brother of the victim, Chief Ineye, expressed appreciation to the law enforcement agencies and media press for ensuring his brother came out of the kidnappers’ den unhurt.

     

  • Kidnapped Dolphin’s GM regains freedom, relives ordeal

    The General Manager (GM) of Dolphin Football Club of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Joe Johnson, who was abducted last Sunday, has regained his freedom.

    Johnson was rescued from his kidnappers on Thursday by men of the Nigeria Police after raiding the kidnapper’s hideout in an undisclosed oil location in the state.

    He has since been reunited with his family.

    The GM was reportedly kidnapped around 7:30 am on Sunday between Aluu and Omuogba communities of Obio/Akpor while on his way to grace his club’s match in Jos, Plateau State.

    Narrating his ordeal in the hands of his abductors shortly after his arrival in Port Harcourt, the footballer said he was tortured, tied up and blindfolded by his kidnappers, just as his clothes were torn off his body.

    According to him, the hoodlums demanded N15 million ransom from his family members, but expressed gratitude to the Police for rescuing him.

    He narrated how he was kidnapped and his experience in the kidnappers dean, “On Sunday morning, I left for the airport at about 7:30 am, because of our match with GIWA FC in Jos, Plateau State.

    “Between Aluu and Omuagba, I was intercepted by an ambush of five armed men who ordered me out of the car and relocated me to the back seat, where they sat on me and blindfolded me and took over the steering.

    “At a point, the car stopped working and they though my car was tracked. At that point, they pushed me into the bush where we spent the whole day until they brought two motor-cycles around 10 pm. From there, they moved me to an uncompleted building in a different location, where we spent Sunday night.

    “When we got into the uncompleted building, they used my belt to tie up my legs and used another rope to tie my hands backwards and dropped me on the floor with my eyes blindfolded.

    “Early the next morning o f Monday, they now moved me to another location where I was rescued by the Police.

    “Although I fed on tea without bread all through the days I spent with them, except the last day when I decided to fast and ask for God’s intervention. I was manhandled, brutalized and had my clothes torn by my captors.

    “On Thursday afternoon, while I was laying down with one of the two guards that were with me, I was observing a fast, I noticed that he had a call and hurriedly got up and left the room, leaving me alone, with the door open.

    “When I tried to find out what the matter was, he ignored me and disappeared. But, because I did not want to attract more punishment, I didn’t stand up. They had warned me  never to stand up until they asked me to, and whenever I was pressed, I informed them and they led me out and back.

    “However, I sensed that something was not right, because all of a sudden, I heard two gunshots, although they normally fire their pump action gunshots, but I soon realized that it was not my captors, because they had escaped.

    Expressing excitement and gratitude to the police for the safe rescue of her husband, the wife of the victim, Victoria, said, “I thank the police for this feat. I never knew they can be this fast, I have gone through a lot in this few days, talking and negotiating with the kidnappers. Imagine when they will threaten that they were going to kill him. It was very scary.”

    In his reaction, the Police spokesman, Mohammed Ahmed, said no arrest has been made, but assured members of the public that the police are on their trail.

    “When we received the information of his kidnap, we swore that we must rescue him safely and the operation was coordinated in a professional manner, leading to this quick result. In this kind of situation, what we do is to first get the victim rescued before going for the kidnappers, and I assure the public to continue to cooperate with us, we will definitely arrest his abductors.”

  • Kidnapped Rivers varsity VC regains freedom

    The Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) Rumuolumini, Port Harcourt, Prof. Rosemund Dienye Green-Osahogulu, who was abducted eight days ago, has been released to her family.

    Reliable family sources, as well as in the university, who pleaded anonymity, said she was released unconditionally by her captors, without any ransom paid.

    The source said, “My brother, our Vice Chancellor has been released by his abductors without any ransom paid. She was released between 5: 45 pm to 6: pm yesterday.  We are celebrating the freedom of our VC as I speak with you.”

    Another source from the victim’s family also disclosed that her abductors allowed her to go because after they became confused, following a tight security strategy by the security agencies.

    Effort to reach her husband, Prof Oshogulu, yesterday night to confirm his wife’s release proved abortive.

    Prof Dele Oshogulu, in a telephone conversation on Thursday, had said the wife’s abductors were yet to contact the family after one week of her abduction.

    But the Rivers State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ahmad Mohammad, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the news of her release.

    Ahmad noted that her freedom was as a result of police effort to arrest her abductors.

    “She has regained her freedom. It seems her abductors sensed we were closing in on them, thereby making them lost concentration on her. That gave her the opportunity to escape.”

  • Detained ‘gay pastor’ regains freedom

    For five days, an Imo State-based pastor was in police cell before he regained his freedom last week. He was said to have had sex with a 13-year-old boy.

    The pastor, simply identified as Chinagoro, was detained at the Oyigbo Police Station, Rivers State, before his release, following a controversial truce.

    He allegedly committed the offence in the Mbesie Local Government Area of Imo State. The suspect, it was learnt, oversees a Healing Prayer Ministry, where victim was serving him.

    The boy, Destiny, a talented drummer, has long lost his father. He was living in Omuahia with his mother before they relocated to Port Harcourt, where the pastor visited one of his sisters and offered to assist Destiny because of his family’s poor condition.

    In his statement at the police station, Destiny said: “The pastor was making love to me and other children in the anus after stripping us naked.”

    He said he left the suspect’s home and reported the matter to his mother because he was always recording their affairs with one of his phone sets. He also said he usually heard strange noise at night after the act.

    At the police station, the second day after the pastor’s arrest, a pregnant lady, who identified him as her brother, told this reporter: “The police arrested my brother after Destiny accused him of committing homosexual affair with him. But I don’t think my brother could do such thing.

    “It was in my house that my brother (the suspect) met Destiny and decided to help him out of their family’s misery and took him to Imo State where his ministry is located. He has been running his ministry for years and nobody has accused him of any wrong doing.”

    The station’s Divisional Police Officer (DPO), simply identified as Mr Joseph, confirmed that the matter was reported there, saying that it was still under investigation. He asked this reporter to come back last Friday for details.

    Following the DPO’s directive, his Divisional Crime Officer (DCO), Mr Harrison, briefed the reporter, saying that lawyers of the suspect and the victim, including his mother, had agreed to make peace.”

    However, the victim’s mother said: “It is the police that forced me to accept. The suspect has already made confession about his atrocities and that was why I hired a lawyer.

    “To my greatest surprise, my lawyer changed overnight as soon as she met with the police that was how the issue of peace started. I was not in support of that initially, but as a poor woman, I have no option than to let go.”

    She added: “The police have paid the bill for the treatment of my son’s anus, but my annoyance is that the doctor who had been cooperating with me have suddenly changed.

    “My lawyer told me that I would be compensated with N100, 000 on Sunday, but the meeting scheduled between the suspect, my lawyer and the police could not hold because the suspect was indisposed.”

    However, The Nation learnt that the suspect may have another problem awaiting him as parents of another “victim” were poised to fight him.

  • Kidnap victim dies after regaining freedom

    A 65- year old kidnap victim, Paul Odili Chima, has died three days after his release.

    The victim, who was the chairman of Delta State chapter of Licensed Electrical Contractors Association of Nigeria (LECAN) and President of Aboh Development Union, was abducted in Asaba, Delta State capital.

    Chima was kidnapped by unidentified gunmen and was later released after spending one week in his captors den.

    The Nation gathered that N1.5 million was paid as ransom to secure his release.

    The victim reportedly complained of pains following torture he was subjected to by the hoodlums during his days in captivity.

    A close family source said, “Elder Chima died barely three days after his release by the kidnappers. Before his death, he complained of pains all over his body and was nursing a gunshot injury that was inflicted on him by the kidnappers.”