By FESTUS AHON
UGHELLI — PANDEMONIUM, yesterday, broke out in Ughelli, the headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area, Delta State, following the early morning abduction of the Manager of the Ughelli branch of Zenith Bank, Mr. Innocent Izi by suspected kidnappers.

Vanguard  gathered that the bank manager was kidnapped from his Oharisi Street residence at about 7a.m., by the suspected kidnappers, who had laid siege to his residence.

The suspected abductors, who our correspondent gathered were four in number, stormed the area in a Toyota Camry car. According to a reliable source, the suspected kidnappers wore T-shirts, black shorts and had red pieces of cloths tied around their arms, an indication that they were battle ready for their victim.

The source who pleaded anonymity, said the kidnappers alighted from their car in a Comado style on sighting the bank manager stepping out of his apartment to enter his car. “They ordered him into the waiting Toyota Camry car. As he was trying to resist them, one of the boys pointed a gun at his head while the others shot sporadically into the air to scare residents of the area as they forced him into their car.”

The source further disclosed that the kidnapers drove off with the bank manager through Otor- Iwhreko Street down to Post Office Road, until they disappeared.

Efforts made to reach the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Ughelli Police ‘A’ Division proved abortive  as at press time. However, a senior police officer attached to the division confirmed the incident and said the police immediately swung into action on getting wind of the incident.

The police source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the police was already on the trail of the hoodlums.
As at press time,  there was no information on the whereabout of the bank executive as neither the bank management nor the family was yet to be reached by the kidnappers.