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From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Mrs. Jennifer Osahon, wife of the kidnapped Bayelsa State Correspondent of The Guardian, Julius, has lamented the daily maltreatment of her husband in the hands of the hoodlums.
The Edo State-born journalist was kidnapped, on Sunday, with 17 others when the gun wielding men attacked a Sunny Eru bus from Yenagoa, along the Patani axis of the East-West Road, in Delta State.
Lamenting what her husband was going through, Jennifer confirmed that the hoodlums were demanding N5 million for him to breathe the air of freedom again.
She said the abductors asked her to send in the money before the end of yesterday or regret what would happen to her husband in their captivity.
The distraught wife added that her husband spoke with her from captivity, urging her to mobilise for the ransom as the hoodlums were torturing him.
Meanwhile, Delta State Police Command has assured that the kidnapped victims would be rescued.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Ari Muhammed Ali, who gave the assurance in Asaba, disclosed that three armed men suspected to be members of the gang were arrested around the Patani axis few days before the abduction.
Ali said his men had since swung into action immediately the attack on the bus was reported.
He said the gang has been terrorising the area, adding that the three suspects were arrested with AK-47 rifles.
In last Sunday’s attack by the hoodlums, the driver of the commercial was killed on the spot before the passengers were led away.
The journalist was on his way from Yenagoa to Ughelli, in Delta state, to board a train scheduled for Abuja.
It was learnt that the kidnappers suddenly emerged from the bush when the bus got to Patani, and started shooting directly, killing the driver in the process.
A close source disclosed that a female passenger, who was among the five freed victims, came to Osahon’s neighbourhood in Yenagoa to break the news of the abduction.
“The journalist boarded a Sunny Eru bus on his way to Ughelli to board an Abuja bound train. The incident happened along the Patani axis of the East-West Road.
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The gunmen suddenly came out from the bush and started shooting directly at their bus. The bullet hit the driver and he died instantly.
“The girl recognised Osahon as someone she knew at Punch road and they boarded the same bus.
“She was in the bus with him when the gunmen suddenly came out of the bush and attacked their bus. The girl was jittery and traumatised because of the experience.
“She said about five of them (three from Delta, two from Yenagoa) among the passengers in the bus were miraculously released by the kidnappers on Monday morning, around 8:30am, while the rest of the passengers, including Osahon, were still held in captivity,” the close source said.
