JUST IN: ‘Unknown’ Naval Personnel Abducted In Delta

A security officer suspected to be a Nigerian ‘Navy personnel’ have been abducted by unknown gunmen along the Sapele-Warri Expressway in Delta state.

The ‘officer’ simply identified as Kola Omoniyi was captured on Monday, October 29, 2018 after he reportedly drove a Toyota Picnic vehicle heading toward Warri.

The officer believed to be on a course study at Naval Engineering College, Sapele was on his way to Warri when the hoodlums pounced on him, taking him away to unknown destination.

BigPen Online learnt, in a report sourced from the the Nation newspaper that officers of the navy formations in the state who ought to known the exact naval unit the abductee is posted had evaded journalists enquiries.

According to the newspaper, the exact naval unit Omoniyi serves could not be ascertained as either with the Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Warri or the Nigerian Navy College of Engineering in Sapele who ought to volunteer information about his status were evasive when contacted for information.

The newspaper reports that while officers reached at the NNS Delta in Warri pushed queries from journalists away, saying the incident had nothing to do with the base; the person reached at Sapele navy base could not volunteer any helpful information.

As at the time of filing this report, the newspaper reported, men of the Delta state police command were still combing the adjoining areas of the point of attack, with a view to rescuing the victim unhurt.

The newspaper also reported that when contacted, spokesman of the Navy College of Engineering, Sub. Lt. L Gotodok, said he was not in a position to speak on the issue, and directed the reporter to reach out to the institution’s Director of Administrations.

However, the spokesman of the Delta police command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, confirmed that one Omoniyi K.D was abducted on Monday, adding that efforts were on to get him rescued.

“There’s a report of kidnap. The person allegedly kidnapped is a Seaman. His name is Omoniyi K D. He was last seen in the evening of 29th when he drove out of the Naval Engineering College, Sapele in his Toyota Picnic vehicle.

“The hoodlums called with his old number and are demanding for four million naira. The Police is doing everything possible with all the relevant Security Agencies towards his rescue and the apprehension of the hoodlums”, said.

Aniamaka confirmed that some arrests had been made in connection to the abduction, although he would not disclose how many persons have been arrested.

“Our concerns at this moment is seeing that the victim is secured out of the den of the kidnappers, unhurt and see that everyone involved in the crime is made to face the law”, he said.