Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt.
Exactly 42 days in the kidnappers’ den, a corps member, three teachers and a Security guard from State Secondary School in Agban-Ndele in Ndele community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State have been set free.
The victims are: Joseph Dimkpa, Martina Ofuru, Charity Mbajike, member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Obinna Duru, and a security guard, Jonathan Woforu. Duru missed participating in the passing out parade held across the country about three week ago. It was not clear as at press time if ransom was paid and how much.
The good news of their release filtered in this morning but very sketchy.
However, the Paramount ruler of Ndele community, Eze Godwin Iraowusi, confirmed the pleasant development this morning but there are no details of their state of health at the time of this report.
The corps members, three teachers and a security guard were abducted on Monday October 12. The abductors reduced their total ransom from N50 million to N25 million and later N2.5 million each, making N12.5million.
About a week ago, the Paramount ruler of Ndele community, Eze Godwin Iraowusi, had revealed that the kidnappers had opened communication with the community through one of the chiefs and had come down from the total amount of N12.5 million that is N2.5million on each of victim. “I am pleading that, at least, for the sake of God and for the sake of humanity, release those four persons. Two of them are women and two of them are men. How can you take women to God knows where. They took them through the Sombrero River. Are they keeping them in the creeks? Are they keeping them in the bush? Are they keeping them under what condition? They should please release them,” he appealed.
That time, Ikechi Chimezie, the Community Development Committee (CDC), Chairman of Agba-Ndele, confirmed the contact with kidnappers but asked for unconditional release for humanity sakes.