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Two kidnappers have been beaten mercilessly after they abducted a woman in Bayelsa state and forced her to withdraw money from her account.
They were apprehended by the Bayelsa State Vigilante Force accompanied by the Special Armed Tactical Team SWAT of the Nigeria Police, on Thursday February 25.
The victim, one Mrs. Judith Adoga was rescued
It was gathered that the suspects held the victim at gunpoint and forced her to different ATM points within Yenagoa metropolis where they withdrew undisclosed amount of money from her account. Afterwards they called her family and demanded ransom for her release.
According to Mrs. Adoga, a staff of the Ministry for Budget and Economic Planning, she was going to drop her friend along Imgbi Road, Amarata, when the kidnappers numbering four came in the guise of being environmental officials and held her captive.
“After I closed from work, my friend pleaded that I drop her off at Imgbi Road. When we got to Imgbi roundabout and my friend came down from my car, four men rounded up my car, saying they are officials of environmental sanitation authority. After saying so they entered my car, pointed me guns and asked me to drive,” she narrated.
“They forced me to give them my ATM card and take them to different ATM points where they withdrew all the money in my account. Afterwards, they then called my family members with my phone, demanding money that would serve as ransom for my release. So, it was at that point one my relations called the Chairman of the Bayelsa Vigilante Force who mobilized his men and rescued me from my abductors.”
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Bayelsa Vigilante Force, Hon. Doubiye Alagba and his Secretary, Hon. Innocent Kaliango said that when they got the distress call from a family member of the victim, the quickly mobilized their team and tracked the kidnappers to Tamic Road, Okutukutu, where two of the abductors were arrested while the other two escaped.
He gave the names of the two armed abductors as Engman Eniyi from Sangana Community in Brass LGA and Ebimobowe Tombofa from Igbenwari in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.
“His operation wouldn’t have been successful without information, i have always stated it clearly that without information from members of the public, fighting crime, criminality other security challenges will know no success,”Alagba stated.
“We shouldn’t play politics with security, security agencies need information to fight crime. The Bayelsa state government today, led by His Excellency, Senator Douye Diri is poised to bring insecurity to it barest minimum if only our people will corporate with security agencies. Bayelsa remains one of the safest state for business and its people to stay, we will continue doing our best to assist in fighting crime and criminality as enshrined in our mandate.”
Meanwhile, the suspects ihave been handed over to the Special Weapon Tactical team (SWAT) of the Nigeria Police Force, Bayelsa State Command for further investigation and prosecution.
