The driver of a commercial bus and three passengers kidnapped along the Emuoha-Kalabari Road in Rivers State have regained their freedom, after spending about 10 days in captivity.
The driver who spoke on condition of anonymity on a popular radio station, Naija Info 92.3 Port Harcourt, monitored by our correspondent explained how the gunmen hijacked his bus.
The driver said the kidnappers hid somewhere along the road while he was ferrying his passengers when they suddenly appeared on the road and started shooting into the air.
“The next thing I saw was boys coming out with guns and shooting into the air. That was when I applied the breaks.
“They hijacked the bus and took us inside a bush. We were altogether eight of us. It was only seven of us they took inside the bush,” he stated.
He further explained that of the seven persons, three were freed by the abductors earlier, while the others were taken into the bush.
“We spent about one week with them in the bush before they took us to the other side of the road,” he stated, even as he
spoke about their experiences while in captivity.
“If you see me now, there are injuries all over my body. I don’t have a dime. The place they kept us, no house, we just lay on the ground.
“They were taking us from one camp to the other. We will stay there for two days then trek to another place. We were trekking till we got to East-West road where they released us,” he added.
He said the kidnappers told them that they resorted to wicked acts because the government stopped them from their illegal bunkering business.
“The people said the government stopped them from doing kpofire (illegal oil bunkering). That is why they enter road (sic).
“They said there was no job, that felt pity for us that we were not the type of people they were looking for and that they were sorry.
“They said they were looking for big men. But we suffered,” he lamented.
When contacted, the acting spokesperson of the state Police Command, DSP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed their release.
She said, “Yes, they have been released. They were rescued with the efforts of the police.”
Iringe-Koko further stated that efforts were ongoing to apprehend the kidnappers and ensure that they face the law.
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