9th September, 2024
…Fubara was released after 12 days in captivity
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Director of Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue Service, Aribibia John-Fubara, who was kidnapped 12 days ago has regained his freedom after allegedly paying N15 million ransom.
Family sources confirmed that the director was released last Thursday midnight in one of the Islands near Bonny in Bonny local government area of Rivers State, but was finally reunited with his family on Friday, 6 September.
A close family source who pleaded anonymity claimed that N15 million was paid as ransom to secure the release of Fubara from his abductors.
However, the Rivers State Police Command had not confirmed the release of Fubara as at the time of filing in this story.
Fubara was abducted at Okrika Waterfront near Marine Base area, Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State on 24 August.
According to accounts by eyewitnesses, gunmen numbering about six, driving a speedboat, on Saturday August 24, 2024, at about 8:20pm, came through Okrika Waterfront to the Marine Base area of Port Harcourt and shot sporadically into air to scare people away.
After carefully identifying Fubara who was their obvious target, they brazenly whisked him into their boat and zoomed off to an unknown destination.