…As Pa Obi re-unites with family

By Taye Obateru

Jos – The Plateau State Police Command, Tuesday, confirmed that two of the soldiers who abducted Pa Michael Obi, father of international footballer, Mikel are members of the Special Task Force, STF,  known as Operation Safe Haven maintaining security in the state.

This is as hundreds of people thronged the police headquarters to catch a glimpse of Pa Obi who regained his freedom in Kano, yesterday, and was re-united with his family, Tuesday,  in Jos

Pa Obi told journalists that the scene of his rescue would have been a bestseller if captured on video.

Parading six of the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Dipo Ayeni said two of the soldiers had been identified and gave their names as Sergeant Victor Essien  with service number 96NA/43/11213 and Private Jaduwa Thloma with number 03NA/54/5527 both of Two Battalion but on temporary posting to Plateau State.

From right; Pa Obi, his son,Tony and another relation at the briefing.

However, the soldiers were not among the six suspects paraded as they were said to be in the custody of the military.

The commissioner recounted how Pa Obi was blocked with an army coloured Hilux Pick-up at about 6pm on August 5 near the State Security Services (SSS) Building  around the Air Force Base and was pushed inside the vehicle and taken to an unknown destination at Rayfield  area where they were joined by four others,  who eventually took him to Kano.

He said the suspects demanded a ransom of four billion dollars “which they called a chicken change to Mikel Obi and his Club, Chelsea”.

Two of the suspects paraded included two women, Nkechi Osai and Hajiya Awa Abubakar and four others. The police commissioner gave their names as Ifeanyi Hyacinth, Ndubuisi Friday, Basil Chukwuma, and Sule Ibrahim, a Niger National.

“Before the detectives were sent to Kano, the state Police Command had put in place a comprehensive intelligence network and this revealed to the police that the old man was somewhere in Kano State. This was made possible by the arrest of one Jacob Cromwell, a dismissed police corporal in Jos on August 21, 2011”, the commissioner said.

Recounting his ordeal to journalists again, Pa Obi who praised the policemen involved in his case highly noting that the dexterity they displayed when they stormed where he was kept in Kano to rescue him would have been a must-watch if recorded on video.

“The Nigerian Police Force did what I never expected. They proved that they had the competence and ability. How I wish the operation was captured on video for the world to see”, he said.

He said his survival and eventual rescue was the handiwork of God and thanked the security agencies, Nigerians and the world at large for the interest shown in his well being as demonstrated by the concerns shown across the world.

Pa Obi, however, urged government and security agencies to do something about the level of insecurity in the country.
Many people including family members, friends and well wishers thronged the police headquarters to catch a glimpse of him before he was eventually re-united with the family.