There is an imminent fuel shortage in the southern part of the country following the refusal of petroleum tanker drivers to load fuel from Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company (WRPC) at the weekend, in protest against the kidnapping of the children of their Warri, Delta State Chairman, Mr Godspower Mashemigha.

Two children of Mr Mashemigha, namely Mine (12 years) and Yenroun (9 years), were abducted by four armed men last Friday morning while on their way to school at Seat of Wisdom Modern School, Ekpan road.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that four children of the chairman of the petroleum tanker drivers were in the Hilux jeep conveying them to school when the yet to be identified gunmen blocked their vehicle.

It was learnt that two of the children bolted away on sighting the gun wielding youths while the remaining two were apprehended by the suspected kidnappers who carried out the operation in an Uduaghan for 2011 branded Hyundai car.

“The four children were in a Hilux jeep conveying them to school when the Uduaghan for 2011 branded car suddenly blocked their vehicle. Two of the children ran away on sighting the gun wielding men while the remaining two were kidnapped”, a security source disclosed.

This development threw the tanker drivers into confusion and they resolved to immediately stop loading fuel protest against the action and the rising state of insecurity in Delta State.

The Nigerian Tribune gathered that the kidnappers of the children of the chairman had established contacts with the chairman demanding for N80 million ransom for their release.

Undercover security agents had, however, launched a manhunt for the kidnappers.

Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Charles Muka said, at the time of filing this report that he had been receiving calls in respect of the matter but was yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Charge of Ekpan.

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/18847-kidnapping-petroleum-tanker-drivers-refuse-to-load-fuel