By Austin Ogwuda
DELTA State Police Commissioner, Mr. Olufemi Abaniwonda has, at last, broken silence over the kidnapped immediate past Commissioner for Technical Education and former House of Representatives member, Hon. Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor.
The CP in an exclusive interview with The Guardian newspaper in Asaba, Delta State, Nigeria confirmed that she was released in Bayelsa State, 10 days after she was abducted from King Jesus & I Church in Asaba, Delta, where she is the General Overseer.
According to the CP Abaniwonda, “she was released by her abductors because there was too much pressure from the security personnel and aside the pressure, the identities of Ada Anioma’s abductors and their location were also known; and based on that they (abductors) didn’t have any option than to hands up and release their victim.
The CP who assured that Delta State is extremely safe, “even though we have this unfortunate incident”, pointed out that a good number of the kidnappers have been arrested, while the Police are on the trail of others who are currently on the run.
On the number of arrests made so far in connection with the kidnap, the CP said, “I will not give you figure not to jeopardize the ongoing investigations, but we have a number of people in our custody. At the appropriate time we will give you the number, their identify and the level of their involvement”.
On why Onyemaechi kidnappers escaped with their victim with ease and unchallenged, the Delta Police chief said, “we have wrong information and our assessment was that they will follow the usual way to the bush but they carried out their operations in a hurry, then, left through the waterside and burned their vehicle.
“When you have these kind of breaches, what is important is the way you respond, the way you are able to bring the perpetrators to book.
“Yes, it was well planned. They have a get away vehicle waiting, get away boat waiting and they know the location of the security and did everything to avoid the security points within the State.
“We have beefed up security, locked down Asaba capital territory to ensure that such doesn’t happen again.
“But, of course, criminal is criminal. We are on the top of the situation so long as there is breach of the law and you are able to arrest, prosecute and bring them to justice it means others will learn a lesson”, he said.
On issue of payment of ransom, CP Abaniwonda was reported saying that he was not aware whether or not the family of Joan Onyemaechi Mrakpor paid any ransom to the kidnappers before she was released.
“For ransom, we (Police) don’t encourage the payment. So, none of the security personnel is aware if any ransom was paid, but we are only working with other security agencies to apprehend and prosecute them”, he added.
Source: The Guardian