2 minors, expatriates abducted in P/Harcourt

Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt - 05.03.2008

Just three days after the Okocha toddlers; Chimaroke and Kelechi, were freed by kidnappers, two children of former chairman of Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State, Ephraim Nwuzi, were on Tuesday abducted by militants.

That was a few hours before an expatriate worker of the construction giant, Julius Berger, was abducted in another part of state.

It was gathered that the Nwuzi children; Allwell, five years and Wisdom, eight years, were abducted around 7:14am in the Old GRA area of Port Harcourt on their way to school.

Their father, Chief Nwuzi, who is a close associate of the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, is reported to have won a slot at the just-concluded Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) local government primaries.

Confirming the development, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Flush Out 3, Lieutenant Colonel Sagir Musa, said the motive for the abduction was suspected to be purely pecuniary, adding that political reasons could not be excluded, considering recent developments in the politics of the state.

He, said the JTF commander, Brigadier General Sarkin-Yaki Bello, had on hearing the development, put all units and troops on alert to get the kids freed in the shortest possible time.

“Information at JTF's disposal has it that the children of the former chairman of Etche Local Government Council of Rivers State were abducted this morning while going to school by yet-to-be-identified criminals,” he said.