A visit to a would-be-sister-in-law’s house has ended on a sad note for a Shell official in Port Harcourt.
The official, Mr Fidelis Akpongiran was kidnapped in a house of his potential in-laws by gun men who have now placed a N7 million price tag on his freedom.

Akpogiran accompanied by his wife had visited the home of his younger brother’s fiancé in Rumuokoro, Port Harcourt suburb on Sunday.

While chatting with his hosts, three young gun men shot their way into the house and tied both the hosts and their guests, and thereafter identified their target who they took away.
The gun men who claimed to be militants in dire need of funds to purchase weapons demanded for N7 million ransom.
They drove away with their victim in his Toyota Camry 2008 model car with registration EU 243 LSK.

Confirming the incident on Sunday evening, the spokesman for the military Joint Task Force (JTF), Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said security agencies have been alerted and directed to hunt down the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, Police detectives from the Imo State Command at the weekend smashed two different syndicate who specialised in kidnapping and human trafficking in the state. The suspected kidnappers were said to have been arrested at two different police operations as two of the kidnappers were shot dead while trying to escape.

A gang of three suspected kidnappers identified as Tochi Duru of Umuorie Umuebo Amaimo Ikeduru, Leo Duru of Owo Amakohia Ikeduru and one Benjamin were said to have abducted their victim, Chika Osuagwu at works Road Owerri and dumped him into the boot of his Camry salon car.
Osuagwu, a staff of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), Bonny Rivers States was said to have been kept in captivity by his captors at Ihittee Ubi, Ahiara Mbaise under security watch demanding a ransom of N5million.

But, on a tip off, Police stormed the venue where they (Kidnappers) kept their captive and in the process two of the captors were killed while trying to escape and a member of the syndicate, Tochi was arrested and their captive who was expected to pay a ransom of N500,000 rescued.

Narrating the incident to Daily Sun at the police headquarters, Owerri, a member of the surviving gang, Tochi Duru said he was armed by other members of the gang to guide their victim while the services of a native doctor was employed to perform some incantations while they waited for ransoms to be paid.
In the same vain, a gang of six suspected kidnappers, Idris Mohammed of Agbede, Edo State, Anthony Nkah of Umuorie Amaimo Ikeduru, Christopher Ekeh from Umuorieagu I, Ehime Mbano, Chibueze Egwim and Nkechi Egwim both of Isiala Mbano were arrested by the police for abducting an 80-year-old man, Mr Maurice Uche.

The gang also kidnapped one Felicia Okoro of Ugiri Mbano.
The suspects were said to have dumped their captive in an ambulance in order to beat security network and later kept him in the custody of Nkechi Egwim who cooked and fed him, waiting for the remittance of their ransom.

Speaking to newsmen after parading the suspects, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) ASP Linus Nwaiwu said that police was determined to flush out the hoodlums and advised parents to educate their children on the inherent dangers associated with kidnapping.