By AUSTIN  OGWUDA, Asaba

Although the victim of the latest high profile kidnap in Delta State, Mr. Ebikeme Clark, son of the Ijaw national leader, Chief EK Clark has been released unhurt, a lot of controversies and unresolved riddles have been raised.

Newshounds who thronged the Delta State Police Command’s headquarters in Asaba, after confronting the arrested suspected kidnapers of EK Clark junior, heard from the horse’s mouth why the operation was carried out.

Earlier, the State Police Command’s spokesperson, Celestina Kalu, who paraded the six arrested  on behalf of the CP, identified one of them, David Emevor, a native of Kiagbodo, the hometown of the Ijaw national leader, as the one who “plotted the kidnapping scheme with the benefit of …(being) an insider”.

•Why we  kidnapped him 

In his response to reporters’ question, E.K. Clark’s kinsman, David, actually opened up, saying that they (gang) particularly chose the son of the elder statesman because he (Chief E.K. Clark) allegedly failed to provide them with jobs despite their conviction that he has the capacity to do so, given his high connection with the powers that be.

They  submitted that “due to the frustration we are passing through we decided to kidnap the victim to enable us raise some money to establish ourselves in business”.

However, the Chairman of the Labour Party, LP, in Delta State, Mr. Emeka Nkwoala, while  condemning the act, posited that kidnapping is a crime against the State. The State House of Assembly vetoed Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan stand on death penalty for kidnappers.

Again, this throws up the question of ethics, family value system and moral as some are wont to ask thus: When parents, especially mothers, abdicate their responsibilities of up bringing of their children what do you expect to have?

According to them, the Nigerian society is presently driven by wealth acquisition rather than good names.

They anchor this on a random sample of selected secondary school students who on being asked about their future career, answered thus: ‘I want to be a politician’. Again the issue of shared prosperity lies on the creation of job opportunity through massive industrialisation.

They cite the Asaba Textile Mills which has been comatose over 10 years now with no sign of reviving it as an opportunity lost to gainfully engage the youths.

But for the Delta Information Commissioner, Mr. Chike Ogeah, who is also a lawyer by profession: “The fact that these youths are unemployed does not give them the right to break the law. There are also other law-abiding unemployed youths.

This defence is spurious both in law and in fact; it is an after-thought being employed by criminals to disguise their brazen criminality. Of course, the law does not even permit ignorance of a law, therefore, excuses for breaking the law are also not tenable in law. Therefore, anyone no matter how high or low in status that breaks the law must face the consequences of their action”. He said.

•Delta govt denies paying N500m as ransom

Jolted by the claim from MEND, the Delta State government, said in clear terms that it never parted with even one kobo to secure the release of Ebikeme.

A statement by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Comrade Ovuozorie Macaulay, said that “from the statement by the so-called MEND, it is obvious that they are out not just to blackmail the State Government but also Chief E.K.Clark and the amnesty programme of the Federal Government”.

Has Death penalty on kidnappers in Delta achieved result?

It will be recalled that the Delta State Anti-kidnapping and Anti-terrorism Bill was  passed into law by the state House of Assembly on April 17, 2013, overriding  the veto of the Governor in the process.

And while commenting on the veto sometime in June last year, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Charles Ajuyah (SAN) said that  “60 convictions of long-term imprisonments for kidnapping/robbery, had been secured from various courts in the state”, assuring the public that his Ministry had “stepped up prosecution in that direction as well as other matters”.

Investigation further revealed that the many kidnappers found guilty of the crime had either been sentenced to long term of imprisonment or outright death in the State. Ironically, however, the crime has continued unabated, thus instilling fears in the minds of the public, including the police.

Indeed the State Police Commissioner, Mr. Ikechukwu Aduba, had cause to express fear when he said that the Command was seriously worried over the whereabouts of some members of the kidnap gang that kidnapped Ebikeme Clark.

He described the runaway suspects as  “extremely dangerous” and went ahead to promise ransom reward for anybody who can offer useful information that would assist in tracking them down.

According to him: “Other gang members still at large include Timi, male; Abel, male; Ndamaw,  male and Jacob, male. The suspects further confessed being behind the kidnapping of one Madam Rose at Udu road Warri from whose family they collected a ransom of N1.8 million.

“We want to reiterate that these gang members are extremely dangerous, ruthless schemers and blood-thirsty, hence we enjoin the good people of Delta State to as quickly as possible alert the police command through any of our distress call numbers viz, 08036684974, 08125273010, and 08075390753 or as well alert any of the security agencies in the State with any useful information that will lead to the arrest of the suspects declared wanted .

Mouth-watering rewards await any public-spirited individual that may come up with useful/genuine tips to this effect”.

While the police are still working to track and apprehend the fleeing gangsters, a nagging question still begging for answer is: Would the young Clark be subjected to police investigation to determine whether he actually contrived his own kidnap as claimed by MEND?