More revelations are unfolding over the kidnap and release of the immediate-past Commissioner for Technical Education in Delta State and former member of House of Representatives, Hon. Joan Onyemachi Mrakpor, a.k.a Ada Anioma.
Apart from the confirmation that she was whisked away through the waterway and released in the neighbouring Bayelsa State, some suspects have also been arrested in connection with her abduction and killing of her two aides.
Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, confirmed the development 10 days after she was abducted in Asaba, the Delta State capital during a church service.
The CP said that given the way the Police Command responded to the incident and it was able to identify her abductors and their location, it forced the abductors to release the former federal lawmaker seeing that the Police were closing in on them.
“She was released by her abductors because there was too much pressure from the security personnel. It was well planned. They had a getaway vehicle waiting, getaway boat waiting and they know the location of the security and did everything to avoid the security points within the state.
“A good number of the kidnappers have been arrested, while the Police are on the trail of others who are currently on the run. We got 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, left through the waterside and burnt their vehicle,” CP Abaniwonda stated.
While he declined to give the exact number of suspects arrested so far, the CP, however, said he would give the number, their identities and the level of their involvement at an appropriate time, saying doing so now may jeopardise ongoing investigations.
“A criminal is criminal. We are on 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 assured.
On the issue of N1billion ransom paid for Hon. Mrakpor’s release, CP Abaniwonda said that he was not aware whether or not her family paid any ransom to the abductors before she was released.
“For ransom, we (Police) don’t encourage the payment. 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 the criminals,” he maintained.
The CP, who assured that Delta State was safe, pointed out that the Police Command has beefed up security and locked down Asaba capital territory to ensure that such incident doesn’t happen again.
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