Gunmen kill 2, kidnap council official, son at beauty pageant

Nigerian gunmen

Nigerian gunmen

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Nigerian gunmen: a new dimension to kidnapping
Nigerian gunmen: a new dimension to kidnapping

A female member of Caretaker Committee of Degema Local Council, Mrs Palsy Elekima, and her son have been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in Buguma, Headquarters of Asari Toru Local Government Council while attending the Miss Buguma Beauty Pageant on Sunday.

According to eyewitness account, two persons were also shot dead by the gunmen during the invasion.

An eyewitness, Donald Iyalla, who is also a youth leader in Buguma, told P.M.NEWS correspondent that when he got information about the plan by armed men to storm the beauty pageant, he immediately alerted the organisers to stop the event.

However, just as the event was stopped abruptly, there was sporadic gun shots by the invaders. Everybody scampered for safety in different directions.

According to Iyalla many of ran into the nearby bushes and slept there overnight.

“Some armed youths invaded Buguma on Sunday during the Miss Buguma Beauty Pageant and started shooting. Two persons were killed while many of us escaped into the bush.We slept in the bush until Monday morning. We learnt that Mrs Palsy Elekima and her son were abducted,” Iyalla said.

Mr. Tonye Tiger, the Chairman of Caretaker Committee of Degema Local Government confirmed that Mrs Palsy Elekima was abducted on Sunday and one person was arrested with the assistance of the members of the local vigilante and transferred to State Criminal Intelligence Bureau, SCIB, in Port Harcourt for further interrogation.

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Also commenting on criminality during Christmas and Boxing Day, Godspower Ipalibo Meduoye, the Coordinator of National Youth Council of Nigeria,, Degema Chapter, lamented the level of crime in the coastal areas and called on the Rivers State government and security agencies to provide security in those areas because of the growing incidents of sea piracy, kidnapping and brigandage.

He lamented the attack on passenger boats by sea pirates a few days ago in Bakana in Degema Local Government Council Area.

“As I speak we got information that this morning that at the adjoining creeks in Bakana some pirates attacked and seized two passenger boats. This is unacceptable.

“We also got a report from youths from Buguma that some armed youths invaded Buguma and after the invasion, we were also told that Mrs Elekima, a member of the Caretaker Committee is no where to be found. It is painful that someone will politicize security,” Meduoye said.

Spokesman of the Rivers State Police Command, Ahmad Muhammad, a DSP, said that before the Christmas and New Year celebrations the State Police Commissioner, Musa Kimo, held a meeting with the national leadership of National Youth Council of Nigeria, NYCN, seeking their cooperation and collaboration with the police and other security agencies to curb crimes because security agencies cannot do it alone.

Muhammad said this synergy worked well in curbing crime in the state, besides few incidents in some parts of the state.

Governor Nyesom Wike had charged the Caretaker Committee members of various councils that any council area where there are reported cases of kidnappings he would not hesitate to sack them without notice.

Wike charged them to ensure that security of lives and properties should be of uttermost priority.

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