The Nigerian Navy NNS Pathfinder said that it has rescued 7 kidnapped victims who were taken hostage along Rivers/ Bayelsa waterways.
The Base Commander NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim told journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday that the abduction of the victims was masterminded by one Victor Padi.
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He said that the kidnapped victims were on their way from Bonny to Port Harcourt before they were abducted.
“On the 10th of May 2022, we had an ugly incident of kidnapping where some passengers who were on a commercial boat from Bonny to Port Harcourt were intercepted by pirates and were taken captive to an unknown location. As soon as the information got across to us we mobilised and started tracking to identify who actually committed this crime”
Ibrahim continued, “After a series of investigations, it was discovered that one Victor Padi was the mastermind of the criminal act. From there, we moved and stormed his camp but unfortunately by the time we got to the camp he had reallocated his victims. After several collaborations with other partners, we discovered that he had reallocated to a location in Bayelsa State.
“We immediately mobilized from Rivers state and collaborated with our base in Bayelsa and stormed the camp where he reallocated the victims. He further moved them because he understands the terrain very well.
“When we got to the second location we mounted pressure on him and an ultimatum was given to his collaborators and as God would have it on the 21st of midnight May, 2022, the victims were rescued unharmed,” he said.
He said that troops of the Nigerian Navy deactivated the two camps of the mastermind of the abduction saying that efforts are on top gear to arrest him.
The rescued victims will be handed over to their families after a thorough medical examination to ascertain their state of health.
He assured residents of Rivers State who transit through the waterways of their safety saying that the Nigerian Navy will continue to police the waterways to enable residents to go about their legitimate businesses.
One of the rescued victims, Jude Isabo said that the criminals kept them under terrible conditions and collected more than N1m from them.
