By Austin Ogwuda
THERE is growing tension as abductors of the immediate past Commissioner for Technical Education in Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s cabinet, Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor are yet to establish contact with her family members since the ugly incident occurred about two days ago.
Apart from the silence from her captors, the Delta State Police Command has equally kept sealed lips too.
All the telephone calls, text (sms) and WhatsApp messages sent to the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Bright Edafe, a Superintendent of Police, SP on Wednesday were unanswered.
Since the incident, The Townhall which was one of Online platforms that instantly broke the news Tuesday evening has been inundated with calls seeking to get the follow up.
Tongues have been wagging concerning the motive behind the kidnap, which is said to have rattled many including the immediate Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori due to her political influence and closeness to them.
A concerned Anioma indigene told our reporter in confidence that the security agencies have a hard nut to crack in unraveling the kidnap saga, given her involvement as one of the leading politicians in Delta North, nay Delta State and also the controversial role she played when she was the Director-General of Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA) at ensuring that sanity prevailed.
Hon Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor was on Tuesday evening abducted from her Church, King Jesus & I, Church, Off Delta Broadcasting Service DBS, Asaba while service was in session.
She is the Founder and the Presiding Pastor of the Church.
The abductors, after whisking her, drove to the bank of the River Niger at Otu-ogwu area in Asaba, blind folded and bundled her into a waiting speed boat and sped off to unknown destination.
But before departing Asaba through the the River Niger the captors set ablaze the car which they used in conveying her from the Church ostensibly to cover their track.
Three persons lost their lives during the bloody abduction and several others wounded as the abductors were heavily armed shooting sporadically.
Her personal driver, Police Orderly and a passerby were said to have died in the process.
She was outspoken, audacious and was also a former Member of the Delta State House of Assembly and former Member of the Federal House of Representatives representing Aniocha/Oshimili Federal Constituency in the National Assembly.
Build up to July 13 local government elections in Delta State she was in the eyes of the storm as there were mounting protests kicking against her brother seeking to re contest the local government chairmanship position for Aniocha South, citing that she cannot be occupying the position of a Commissioner and at the same time her brother, Pastor Jude Chukwunkwike becoming the LG Council Chairman.
Ironically, the announcement regarding the resignation was sarcastically made during a church service at her Church, King Jesus & I, which eventually led to the brother clinching the ticket and won.
Again, during the inauguration of the Aniocha South Legislative Arm there was commotion over the position of the Leader of the House leading to free for all.
