From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Akwa Ibom State Police Command has rescued 28 persons, most of them fishermen and seafood traders allegedly kidnapped by pirates in Akwakpa, Uruan Local Government Area of the state.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Olatoye Durosinmi, who disclosed this at the command headquarters, Ikot Akpanabia-Uyo, while interacting with journalists on Friday, explained that the fishermen were rescued through intelligence, adding that as soon as he got the report he drafted the marine officers who were able to rescue the victims at the creeks, where they were held hostage for over eight hours. Durosinmi explained that the pirates always pose as fishermen to carry out their nefarious act on unsuspecting fishermen
He said: “The five-man armed gang pretending to be fishermen bumped into them and asked them to get into the boat. Fortunately, one of them had the phone number of the local government chairman who later alerted me. The usual practice is that they go out on Thursday and come back on a Sunday.
“They were there all through the night searching where they were and by 10:00hr my officers found them around a creek with their boats. As I speak, the detachment of the marine officers are still trailing the suspects.”
Durosinmi explained that the command would take the victims to the police clinic for proper medical attention and thereafter reunite them to their families.
He promised to continue to ensure that the state”s land and water remain safe for the people. One of the victims Iboro Asuquo, told journalists said, “the thieves collected everything from us, they collected millions of naira from different people.”
Another victim, Victoria Pious said; “I go there to buy fish. They collected about N1million from me, which was part of a loan I collected which I pay back N100, 000 monthly including money people gave me to buy things for them.
“They took us to a place we didn’t know; they covered our faces and striped me to ensure I didn’t hide the money in my privates.