Gunmen abduct Bayelsa council chairman’s parents

By Samuel Oyadongha

Yenagoa—Barely seven days after the abducted mother of the Speaker of Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mrs. Betinah Benson, was released by her captors, gunmen have struck again at Oloibiri in Ogbia Local Government Area of the state, kidnapping the parents of the chairman of the council, Mr. Richard Ibegu.

The incident is the latest in the series of high profile kidnappings in the state targeted at families of political office holders.

Vanguard gathered that the abduction of the couple identified as Mr. Festus and Mrs Ibiye Ebegu, occurred on Sunday at 10.30pm in the riverside town of Oloibiri.

Though the motive of the kidnappers could not be ascertained, community sources told our correspondent that the gunmen, three in number, stormed the predominantly fishing and farming settlement in a speedboat.

The gunmen were said to have fired sporadically into the air on getting to the community ostensibly to whittle down resistance from the natives before heading straight to the residence of their victims.

The gunmen were said to have seized their victims and disappeared with them into the creek.

A security source, who spoke anonymously, said a close aide to the chairman had furnished the police  with vital information that would assist them in their investigation.

The source said the chairman had received threats in the past from sources he declined to disclose so as not to jeopardize police effort in unmasking the perpetrators of the act.

Contacted, state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Fidelis Odunna, confirmed the incident. “A police crack team had swung into action with a view to apprehending the kidnappers,” he said.