Police in Akwa Ibom State have detained the village head of Atibe in, Eket Local Government Area of the state, Chief Inam Unanaowo and four others for alleged kidnapping of oil workers.
A source revealed that the village head with other suspects allegedly ambushed and abducted some staff of an oil servicing company attached to ExxonMobil, a subsidiary of Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN).
The oil workers were said to be travelling back from Port Harcourt in an 18-seater bus to resume duty at Qua Iboe Terminal (QIT) in Ibeno local government area.
The incident, according to the source, occurred in the early hours of last Thursday July 5 along Marina Road in Eket.
However, following a tip-off the suspects were said to have been apprehended the next day by security operatives.
Upon interrogation by the police operatives, the suspects mentioned that they were sponsored by the monarch to carry out the nefarious act.
“The suspects hijacked the oil company workers and took them to their hideout demanding money but unknown to them, the workers had put a call to the police.
“The bus was coming from Port-Harcourt to QIT for a crew change of duty offshore when the suspected kidnappers ambushed them along Marina road.
“The suspects ambushed them and took them to Atibe village square, where they were blindfolded with sack bags” he said.
He said that one of the suspects was caught with pistol, adding that some of the suspects manhandled one of the victims to death.
Reacting to the development the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Odiko MacDon, said four of the suspects including the village head were arrested and would soon be charged to court.
He said the police in the state would not rest on their oars until all the perpetrators of the heinous crime are brought to book.
“The suspects hijacked the oil company workers and took them to their hideout demanding money but unknown to them, the workers had put a call to the police”. – Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Odiko MacDon
