Ohanaeze Demands Immediate Release Of Abducted Banker In Bayelsa

The leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Bayelsa State has condemned the recent abduction of the operations manager of Sterling Bank, Mrs Nneka Ugoanochie, and called on the kidnappers to release her unconditionally.

Ugoanochie was kidnapped on Friday, June 16, 2023 at about 7am by four armed men dressed in military camouflage, who operated in a red colour Lexus Jeep on Tamara Road Otiotio, Yenagoa, while driving to her office.

Sources close to the victim said the abduction of Ugoanochie, who is an indigene of Owerri in Imo State, may be associated with members of the remaining gang of the arrested celebrity kidnappers, John Ewa aka John Lyon and Emmanuel Agase.

In an interview with LEADERSHIP yesterday, the deputy president of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Bayelsa chapter, Chief Chris Alatu, said the Igbo in the state were unhappy over the continuous kidnapping targeted at them.

He said the recent incident is one out of many where an Igbo residing in the state is being kidnapped.

While commending the state governor Douye Diri on  his efforts at securing lives and property in the state, Alatu appealed to the state government to help the Igbos by doing more in terms of security in order to prevent such incident from happening again.

He said, “We the Igbos in Bayelsa State are not happy, it is so annoying and bitter to us. This is not the first time an Igbo is been kidnapped. It is as if they are focusing on only one particular people in Bayelsa.

“If you count the number of kidnappings that have happened here in Bayelsa, if they are ten, Igbos are eight; if they are five, Igbo are four. It is not good news to us and Bayelsa State should know that our people are leaving the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, the state police command has commenced operation to rescue Ugoanochie and arrest the perpetrators.

This was disclosed by the commissioner of police, Romokere Ibani, while parading 12 other suspects at the police headquarters over their involvements in various crimes including armed robbery, kidnapping, stealing, cultism and attempted murder.