Enugu State police command has confirmed the kidnap of Rivers United coach Stanley Eguma, the longest-serving coach in Nigeria’s Football League (NFL).
In a statement on Thursday, the police said the abduction of the coach happened on 15 June along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway while he was on his way back from an away match against Adamawa United played in Gombe State.
The police spokesperson, Daniel Ndukwe, said two men travelling with Eguma alerted them of the ambush, which they said was carried out by unidentified gunmen.
Enugu state commissioner of police, Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu has since launched a full-scale investigation to rescue the coach.
According to BBC Sports, Eguma is the longest-serving coach in the Nigeria Professional Football League as he joined the now-defunct Dolphins in 2008 and was retained by Rivers United in 2017 after the government merged Sharks and Dolphins football clubs to form a Port Harcourt club, Rivers United.
Police statement in full:
ENUGU STATE POLICE COMMAND BULLETIN OF 16TH JUNE, 2021
ALLEGED TRAILING AND ABDUCTION OF STANLEY EGUMA ALONG ENUGU/PORT-HARCOURT EXPRESSWAY; CP ALIYU ORDERS INTENSE FULL-SCALE INVESTIGATION TO RESCUE VICTIM AND APPREHEND ASSAILANTS
The Commissioner of Police, Enugu State Command, CP Mohammed Ndatsu Aliyu, psc, has ordered that no stone should be left unturned in the already launched full-scale investigation to rescue one Stanley Eguma (m), Head Coach of Rivers United Football Club of Port-Harcourt, and the arrest of the yet-to-be-identified gunmen, alleged to have abducted him on 15/06/2021 at about 1600hrs, along Enugu/Port-Harcourt Expressway.
2. The order is sequel to a complaint made at the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command same date of the incident at about 1705hrs, by two other persons traveling with the victim, who alleged that the unidentified gunmen, operating in a white-coloured Hilux Van, trailed and forced the black-coloured Hilux Van conveying them from Gombe State to Port-Harcourt, to stop. They further alleged that the assailants pushed the two of them out and made away with the vehicle, and in the process abducted the victim to an unknown destination.
4. Meanwhile, the Commissioner has enjoined members of the public with useful information that will assist the Command in the ongoing investigation, to endeavour to provide same by calling the Command’s hotlines on: 08032003702, 08075390883, 08086671202 or 08098880172; or by sending an email to: [email protected]. He assures the confidentiality of the informants’ identities.
ASP DANIEL NDUKWE, Anipr
Police Public Relations Officer
FOR: Commissioner of Police
Enugu State Command
