OSBC Osun State Broadcasting Corporation
The Rivers State Police Command has claimed that the family of a 92-year-old monarch of the Ayama Ekede community in the Andoni Local Government Area of the state, Bibama Ekpirikpo, has not reported his abduction one week after he was kidnapped from his residence by yet-to-be-identified gunmen.
The spokesman for the command, Nnamdi Omoni, said he had yet to get the report of the incident.
“Did they report to the police? They should make a formal report to the police if they have not done so and we will take it up from there; otherwise, how do we know that such a thing happened?” Omoni asked.
The family of the nonagenarian, who was kidnapped last Monday, expressed fear over his state of health, especially as the hoodlums had yet to make contact with any member of the family.
The son of the monarch, Jonathan Ekpirikpo, who confirmed the abduction to our correspondent, said his father was managing a health condition that had kept him on routine drugs for a long time.
Jonathan stated, “It (kidnap) happened on Monday, May 17, when a group of armed men came to his residence in Andoni through the back door and went straight to his room, broke the door and whisked him away.
“Since then, they (kidnappers) have not established contact with us. We are appealing that he should be released unconditionally, because he has a health condition.”
He wondered why the kidnappers would decide to abduct an aged monarch, who probably might be old enough to be their grandfather.
“So, I’m appealing to them to release him to us unhurt and unconditionally, and at the same time, calling on the government and security agencies to assist us by way of rescue,” Jonathan added.
