Expatriate Drowns While Escaping From Kidnappers In Rivers

A yet-to-be-identified expatriate has drowned in Aleto River when the vehicle in which he was being chauffeur-driven fell off the Aleto bridge along the East-West Road in Eleme local government area of Rivers State.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the accident occurred on Monday evening when the driver of the expatriate tried to escape an attack on their convoy by suspected kidnappers on top of the bridge.

As of the time of filing this report, professional divers and marine police were at the scene to recover the vehicle and possibly any other victim.

Emergency response teams, including the Rivers State Emergency Management Agency, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Police, were working together to conduct rescue operations.

The Rivers State Police Command was yet to issue any official statement on the incident, even though the State’s Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, has visited the scene.