By Jimitota Onoyume
Port Harcourt— Four National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members kidnapped about two weeks ago at Eberi Omuma in Omuma Local Government Area of Rivers State are still missing, says the Rivers State Police Command.

Rivers State Police Commissioner, Mr Suleiman Aba, who spoke to the media yesterday in Port Harcourt, said security operatives in Rivers and Abia states have intensified search for the corps members, adding that a combined team of policemen and soldiers from Abia and Rivers states stormed the hide out of the kidnappers at Ogwe,Ozota,Owasa, Ogwati and Obokwe, all in Ukwa West local government area of Abia state, at about 3am yesterday. While the operation was on, according to the Police boss. the kidnappers fled.

The Commissioner said as at press time, the corps members had not been seen, a situation that caused security operatives to raise a search party for them.He said the search team was combing the areas for the corps members.

The Police Commissioner dismissed fears that they may have died during the raid on the camps of the kidnappers in the area by the security operatives to him a young man from Omuma who was mobilized to send the ransom demanded by the kidnappers to them for the release of the corps members some days ago that was held back by the kidnappers escaped the same time with the corps members Police boss said the man found his way back to his village because he had good knowledge of the terrain.

Meantime the Police Commissioner said during the raid that lasted some hours three camps belonging to the hoodlums were smashed, forty suspects arrested and thirteen vehicles bearing Rivers state registration numbers were also recovered valuables he said were among items recovered.

The Police boss said at the time of this piece security operatives were still in the communities were the operation took place. He assured that security operatives would continue to take steps to protect lives and properties in the state.Adding that the items recovered athe scene of the operation had been handed over to the state Police command for further investigation.

His words: ” the military and police in Rivers state commenced an operation that took them into the camps of the kidnappers and armed robbers at Ogwe,Ozota,Owasa,Ogwati and Obokwe axis,Ukwa West local government of Abia state.

As a result most of the kidnappers and armed robbers ran away abandoning their captives in the camps who also took to their heels including the four youth corps members and the gentleman who went to deliver ransom for their release that has also been in abduction strong search party has been working to locate them”