By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT — The Police in Rivers State have been combing bushes for the 14 Nestoil staff abducted in an area close to Omoku,  headquarters of Ogba Egbema Ndoni Local Government Area of the state last Friday.

Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Mr Nnamdi Omoni, said more men had been deployed for the search of the hostages, expressing hope that they would record success.

He said policemen had been in bushes in the council and other areas in search of the hostages, adding that the bus in which the hostages were when they were abducted had been recovered.

“We have been in the bushes in search of the hostages. We have since recovered the bus they were in at the time of the kidnap. More men have even been deployed for the operation,” he said.

It will be recalled that gunmen hijacked a bus conveying the workers of the oil firm and  diverted them to an unknown destination.

The gunmen later abandoned the bus after moving the hostages to a hideout.

Though Omoni did not speak on report that the kidnappers had demanded ransom, Vanguard gathered from community sources that the kidnappers were pressing for payment of the ransom before the hostages would regain freedom.

It is not clear what the ransom is.