Militants abduct woman, toddlers

Bolaji Ogundele, Port Harcourt - 27.02.2008

The Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation Flush-Out 3 has raised the alarm over new mode of criminality adopted by hoodlums in the Niger Delta, as three more persons, two of them toddlers, were on Tuesday abducted in Port Harcourt.

While one Mrs. Oluwatoyin Nkwo, the secretary to the Deputy General Manager (Drilling) of Elf Petroleum Nigeria Limited (EPNL) was abducted at about 9:00pm on Monday, Chimaroke Okocha and Kelechi Okocha, two years and two months old and one year and seven months old respectively, were abducted on their way to the day-care on Tuesday morning.

According to reports, Mrs Nkwo, whose husband, Mr Sam Nkwo, was also Manager of Training Services of EPNL, was reportedly abducted at about 9:00pm with her Honda City, while returning from a church service at the Royal House of Grace Church, Peter Odili Road Port Harcourt.

She was, however, made to call her husband, at about 3:00am same day to say that her car, with registration number AH 487 DBU had been abandoned at the Artillery Junction area of Port Harcourt. This, however, turned out to be false as security operatives who went to confirm this did not see the car.

Meanwhile, the hoodlums behind the abduction have reached out to the family of Mrs Nkwo and demanded a ransom of N80 million before she would be released.

About 10hours after Mrs Nkwo was abducted, two toddlers of same parentage; Chimaroke and Kelechi Okocha, were abducted from their father’s car while on their way to day-care.

“Today, 26 February, 2008, at about 8:42am, two toddlers were abducted on their way to school, UNIPORT Daycare School. They were in a Toyota Previa minibus. The toddlers are Chimaroke Okocha, two year and two months old and Kelechi Okocha, 1year and 7months old boy. Their father is one Mr. Okocha, of number 8, Okocha Street, Choba, Port Harcourt.”