BY Samuel  Oyadongha

Yenagoa—The Bayel-sa State Police Command and the Bayelsa State Government have launched a massive rescue operation for the three kidnapped Dutch nationals at Letugbene community on the Atlantic fringe of Ekeremor Local Government Area of the state.

Meanwhile, the Police have denied the reported arrest of the two freed Nigerian-born Dutch nationals.

The rescue operation, which was launched yesterday, is to be managed by a special security team of Ijaw youths and policemen.

The kidnappers, according to a security source, have, meanwhile, demanded N500 million as ransom for the release of the abducted Dutch nationals, identified as Mr. Erhard Leffers, Mrs. Marianne Vos and Mr. Jan Andre Groenendijk.

Speaking to newsmen, yesterday in Yenagoa, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Hilary Opara, who denied the alleged arrest of the two Nigerian born Dutch nationals, Mr. Sunny Ofehe and Mr. Femi Soewu, said they were invited by the police for an interview to get more information about the mood and utterances of the kidnappers.

Opara said four persons were invited for interrogation including the organiser of the ill- fated trip and the chairman of an indigenous organisation known as Dodo Rovers Regional Development Association, Mr Berry Negerese and an indigene of Letugbene, Chief Benson Dodoru.

He said that while the duo of Soewu and Ofehe were released alongside Berry Negerese, Chief Dodoru, aged 42, was undergoing further interrogation over the incident.

Opara, however, expressed dismay at the failure of the organiser of the trip and the Dutch nationals to inform the police in Delta and Bayelsa State about the trip.

Meantime, Bayelsa State Government, yesterday in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Col. Bernard Kenebai (rtd), condemned the abduction of the Dutch nationals, describing same as unfortunate.

Kenebai described as wrong and irresponsible, the failure of the organiser of the trip and the Dutch nationals to inform the security agencies of their trip. He assured that the state government is partnering security agencies to secure their release. He said: “We consider the ill fated trip as unfortunate due to the fact that the state has not experienced it for a while.”