February 3, 2009
Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped the wife of Dr. Edmund Dakuro, the former Minister of Petroleum and the Amanyanabo of Nembe kingdom of Bayelsa state.Mrs. Gladys Dakuro was, last night, kidnapped at the D-Line axis of Port Harcourt, while returning home at the close of business. Also, last night, some gunmen kidnapped Dr. Hikiah Asintiya, a Commissioner in the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, in charge of Works.
Asintiya was kidnapped at the Rumuolumini axis of Port Harcourt, on his way home, at the close of work.
When PMNEWS visited the home of the Dakuros in GRA, Phase Two, in Port Harcourt, this morning, an unusual crowd of sympathizers and a horde of journalists wanting to get reactions from the family had gathered there. But they were not allowed into the premises.
However, Mr. Sam Woka, the Director of Press Affairs in RSIEC confirmed the kidnap in a telephone interview with PMNEWS, in Port Harcourt, this morning.
A call to the Rivers State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mrs Rita Innoma-Abbey, could not go through. But a Police source confirmed the two incidents.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Asari Dokubo, leader of the Niger Delta People’s Volunteer Force, has intervened in the growing tension between two rival cult groups, The Greenlanders and The Boys, as result of the killing of one Theophilus, a prominent member of The Greenlanders and Sunny Opuambe, the leader of the The Bush Boys, operating in Okrika and Abuloma areas, near Port Harcourt.
Although there has not been an open clash since the death of the leaders of the two rival cult groups, Asari told a Port Harcourt radio station, Rhythm 93.7 FM, that the members of The Bush Boys approached him, threatening a retaliatory attack against the The GreenLanders suspected to have assassinated Opuambe at a drinking joint at Abuloma, a suburb of Port Harcourt, over the weekened.
Asari lashed at government and the security agencies for not being able to protect lives and property.
According to Asari; “The killing of Opuambe shows that security agencies have failed in their responsibility to protect lives and property in the state. Opuambe has long disarmed and embraced peace and every body knows that he has been leading a normal life. I wonder why he should be unprotected.”
He warned that if government fails to carry out its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, people will be forced to resort to self-help and that portends anarchy in the state.
It would be recalled that during the Okrika crisis between The Bush Boys and Ateke Tom, Opuambe led the Bush Boys.The crisis led to the killing of hundreds of people in Okrika. Those who managed to escape death went into exile since the year 2000 untill governor Chibuike Amaechi took a tough stance against militancy and criminality with the help of the Joint Task Force.
However, Opuambe had publicly denounced violence and laid down his arms in several peace meetings in Okrika. It is also on record that he has been involved in the sponsoring of football competitions to integrate and reconcile youths from rival cult groups in Okrika and Port Harcourt.
Lt.Col. Sagir Musa has repeatedly assured residents of Port Harcourt and the environs that the security agencies are fully mobilized to check any breakdown of law and order in the state. So far, there has not been any reprisal attack as a result of the suspected cult-related killing.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Obio-Akpor Local Government Council, Chief Nsirim, and the entire legislative arm have been thrown into confusion over the abduction of Mr. Martin Amehule, the Leader of the legislative arm, by unknown gunmen, over the weekend.
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