Police rescue three kidnapped victims from herdsmen in Enugu

Kenneth Ofoma, ENUGU       

The Enugu State Police Command,  said it has rescued three victims abducted by gunmen, who attacked a commercial bus along Agbani Ugbawka road of Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State.

The Enugu State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Superintendent of Police (SP), Ebere Amaraizu, said that the police have commenced full scale investigations into the incident.

Amaraizu added: “A yet to be identified hoodlums on June 14, along Agbani Ugbawka road, struck at a commercial bus, loaded with passengers. They abducted three females after robbing the said bus, and then zoomed off into the bush.

“Operatives of the ‘Operation Puff Adder,’ acting on the directives of the commissioner of police, Sulaiman Balarabe, raced to the scene and embarked on aggressive combing of the bush. This forced the hoodlums to abandon their victims without payment of any money. The victims are now with their families.” 

Meanwhile, indigenes of Nkanu East Local Government Area at the weekend, while raising alarm over the attacked bus and abduction of the three females, insisted that the hoodlums were herdsmen.

Eyewitnesses explained that the bus was attacked and robbed by armed herdsmen. The herdsmen collected valuables from the passengers and then abducted the three girls, before running into the bush.

The Nkanu Youth Council worldwide condemned the attack and abduction.

The Acting Director of Security, Nkanu Youth Council, Comrade Emmanuel Ebuka Chukwu, called on security agents to be proactive in tackling kidnapping. 

Chukwu said: “For the past 48 hours, we have been shocked by an unimaginable incident that took place in the holy land of Ugbawka on June 14, 2019, at about 5:pm along Agbani-Ugbawka Road.  We heard how herdsmen kidnapped, raped and robbed people in Yoruba states. Unknown to us, these monsters have crept into our peaceful Enugu State, not just that, but to our innocent community, Ugbawka. 

“We want to alert our people to be vigilant at all time. Our vigilante groups should be reactivated in places, where they are presently inactive. We can't allow these people to continue to ruin and destroy our peace.”