Gunmen yesterday abducted eight person who were on their way to Ubimini community in Rivers State for a programme organised by the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The Guardian gathered that the victims were travelling with a Lexus jeep when the gunmen armed with AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons struck, barricaded the express way around Omoku/Egbeda road and forced them into the bush.
Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, is said to have aided the rescue of one of the victims.
It was gathered that Amaechi, a former governor of the state, was on his way to the Ubimini community in Emohua Local Government Area to address supporters of the APC when he sighted a Lexus SUV abandoned in the bush.
Amaechi, who was leading his convoy, stopped and ordered his security team to comb the forest in search of the occupants of the vehicle. It was during the search that the security personnel in the minister’s convoy rescued one of the occupants of the abandoned vehicle.
The victims, it was learnt, turned out to be APC supporters travelling to attend the party’s rally in Ubimini.
Narrating his ordeal to Amaechi, the rescued victim, Edi Chinda Edi, said they were on their way to Ubimini for the APC programme when the kidnappers barricaded the express way and attacked them.
He said eight of them were in the vehicle when the kidnappers armed with AK47 riffles and other dangerous weapons struck.
“We were eight in the car and they succeeded in kidnapping seven others. While they were beating and forcing us into the bush, I managed to escape into the other side of the forest,” he said.
Worried about the safety of other victims who were yet to be found, Amaechi directed some of his security personnel to continue the search and ensure that the remaining victims were rescued and their abductors arrested and prosecuted.
