By Perez Brisibe

IRKED by the spate of kidnappings in his domain, the Ovie of Oghara Kingdom, Orefe III, has threatened to deal with anyone found culpable in any form of criminality under any guise in the community.

Oghara is the administrative headquarters of Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State and plays host to not only the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, but also  Western Delta University, a state polytechnic and headquarters of the Nigerian  Navy Logistics Command.

Describing the development as  worrisome, the monarch traced the upsurge of criminality to the lifting of the ban on youth activities in Oghara by the administration in the state.

“Though I don’t think it is correct to attribute the lifting of the ban on  the youth activities to the upsurge of kidnapping in the area, it is not quite clear the true position of things. Though when the ban was lifted, the youths  promised to help in fighting crime, they have not done very much in this regard,”he stated.

Monarch attributes growth in business activities to upsurge in crime

The Orefe went on:”I think the growth in business activities over the years in Oghara that has now made it a cosmopolitan city, which attracted people from all parts of the country, could be a factor  in  the wave of crime in Oghara.

“As a monarch, if I know of anybody hoarding information about criminals from security operatives in Oghara, such person would be punished because whoever hoards information is working against the collective interest of Oghara people.”

However, the presence of the Navy Logistics Command has not helped in abating the  kidnappings and other forms of criminality in the area.

Hard hit by the development  are the staff of  DELSUTH who, despite assurance by the monarch and  security operatives in the area, are leaving the community in droves to reside in  neighbouring communities like Sapele and Mosogar from where they come to work.

To press home their grievance on the kidnappings  of their colleagues, DELSUTH resident doctors have consistently embarked on industrial action thereby crippling activities in the hospital.

A doctor, who was recently released from kidnappers’ den, put the number of abducted  doctors  at eight in six weeks while the President of the Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, DELSUTH Branch, Dr. Innocent Okocha, stated that 10 doctors had parted with money to facilitate their release from kidnappers who collect the money from their victims and  move to the next target with a certainty that they would not be caught.

Describing doctors as  endangered species in the hands of kidnappers, doctors, under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, MDCAN, staged a peaceful protest to the Delta State Government House, Asaba, with a vow to suspend their services until security in the town was beefed up.

‘I entered into IOU with kidnappers’

Recounting his 17hours ordeal in the hands of a  six-man  kidnap  gang, Dr. Joseph Akponana Mudiaga, of the Department of Anesthesia, DELSUTH, who was abducted at his  Oghara  residence, likened working and living in Oghara as “living in bondage”.

According to him, he had to enter into an IOU (I Owe You) with his abductors to facilitate his release.

“When they (kidnappers) came into my apartment, after collecting money, phones and other items, they took me along, stating that they came specifically for me. Outside my apartment, two of them drove off in my Toyota Highlander  vehicle,  with registration No. SKL 899 EH, which, till date, has not been found, while four others blindfolded me and took me into the bush,”Mudiago narrated.

“After walking kilometers under the rain into the bush, they told me that I had been abducted and that I  would have to call some persons to raise a ransom of N3million to secure my freedom. Pleading, I told them that the only way they could gett the money was if they released me so that I could  go and mobilise for the ransom.

Police told me they do not work on weekends –Wife of abducted doctor

Meanwhile, the victim’s wife, Mrs Mudiago, while accusing  the police of not being alive to their  responsibilities, said she reported the abduction at the  Oghara   Police Station where she was allegedly told by an officer on duty that she would have to wait till Monday before investigation into the case could commence as “they (police) do not work on weekends.”

Police appeal for partnership

Contacted, the Public Relations Officer of Delta State Police Command, Celestina Kalu, appealed for a  partnership with DELSUTH doctors and the police in curbing  kidnapping in Oghara.

On the claim by Mrs Mudiaga that a policeman in Ogbara told her the police don’t work   on weekends, she said: “I do not believe that any police officer would say so because the police work 24hours. When there is a  kidnapping   and it is reported, the message is radioed to the command with same sent to neighbouring states to be on the lookout.”

Another doctor, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that he had been kidnapped  twice in Oghara  with the last one being around 7pm on the same day as Dr. Mudiaga after which he was released on parting with a ransom of N5million.

Security measures

Giving insight  into the  measures  in place  to stem the tide of kidnapping in Oghara, the Orefe stated that he led a delegation to meet with Governor Ifeanyi Okowa on the problem in the area.

“With the governor’s  assistance, we have more policemen deployed  to the Oghara Police Division and given more tools to combat the problem, yet the matter persists. For now, we have given out mobile numbers  to residents of the area to call if they are in distress.

“Also, I want to assure everyone in Oghara that we now have patrol teams going round the town. Though for security reasons I will not give the details, they can be rest assured that their safety is our concern and, as a community, we would do our best to ensure that everybody living in Oghara is safe.”

Crime has dropped in Oghara –COUNCIL BOSS

Meanwhile, the Ethiope West council chairman, Mr. Solomon Golly, has debunked the  claim that he is to be blamed for the upsurge of criminality in the area.

According to the council boss, he has engaged over 200 youths to complement the efforts of security operatives to check criminality in the area, a move, he said, has yielded positive result.

“With the efforts of security agencies and the youths, we have apprehended about 17 kidnap suspects since November. I can tell you that, contrary to reports, since November last year, crime has drastically dropped in Oghara because of the efforts we have made so far,”he stated.

“For us to get quick result, we have to track numbers if anyone is kidnapped and this costs an average of N120, 000 to N140, 000. I also pay N10, 000 daily for the accommodation of the Divisional Police Officer who has been staying in a hotel as his official residence is under renovation.

“As regards the teaching hospital, we have beefed up security in and around the hospital and I can assure you that there are security operatives stationed there to forestall any security breach.”