Angela Nwaeze
Ebonyi state police command has appealed to the public to disregard reports on social media that two Chinese expatriates were kidnapped by gun men on Wednesday at Ihietutu village, Ishiagu, in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Loveth Odah, cleared the air on Thursday, stating that it was only one person that the kidnappers successfully took along with them.
She said on June 3, the manager of Greenfield Metals Nigeria Limited, one Eniola Olushola, reported that at Ivo division that while they were on duty, about 20 unidentified gunmen stormed the site and took away one Chinese national, Yuan Zhibin.
The incident happened at the company’s mining pit at Ajirija mining site, 300 metres from the company’s Life Camp.
She said the command on getting the information dispatched a tactical team to the area together with local vigilante and they are doing everything possible to ensure that the kidnapped victim was rescued unhurt.
She also confirmed that the kidnappers have established contact with the company demanding for yet to be disclosed amount as ransom.
“I want to use this opportunity to set the record straight, it’s one Chinese national that was kidnapped not two.
‘”Though the kidnappers according to the DPO wanted to go with two, but they discovered that the second person wasn’t strong enough and they dumped him very close to the site where he was rescued by the police.
“According to the manager of the company, he reported that the men numbered up to 20 stormed the area and started shooting.
“The DPO also confirmed recovering up to eighteen live expanded cartridges because they were said to be having pump action guns with them.
“So you can imagine when someone will expand about 18 cartridges and that must not be all, those were the ones we picked.
“They succeeded in scaring people away and Kidnapped the Chinese expatriate. They came with no motorcycle nor vehicle, they came through the bush.
“But we are assuring you in less than no time we will rescue the victim,” she reiterated
On the activities of police in the area as regards the kidnap of two Chinese expatriates in the same company which took place in March this year, Odah noted that “During the March incident, a lot of m blames were put on the company for working on such site without the arrangement for police protection. “They were advised to engage the police, and at the end of the day if we find out that policemen or other security agencies were engaged and this second incident happened, then the job should be left for us and we will take it up with our men especially if any is found wanting in discharging his duty”, she stated.
