The Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry Banigo and other critical Kalabari stakeholders in the state on Friday condemned the kidnapping of a construction expatriate engineer.
The expatriate was supervising the construction of multi-billion Naira Trans-Kalabari road project which traverses Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru and Degema LGAs of the state.
The yet-to-be-identified assailants kidnapped the foreign expatriates working with Lubric Construction Company on Thursday, September 9 along Sama Road, in Asari Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State, killing three policemen attached to him.
Banigo who frowned at the development, summoned selected monarchs and political leaders in Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru and Degema Local Government Areas of the state and charged them to effect the immediate and unconditional release of the victim as well as the unmask the abductors in order to forestall a similar reoccurence
She said, “This meeting is necessitated by the very unfortunate incident of the abduction of an expatriate staff of Lubrik construction company that is undertaking the trans-Kalabari road construction.
“I am indeed very displeased at this very unfortunate incident seeing that this project is very important for the social economic development of out people, our communities and it is one that is cherished by every well-meaning person in our communities. So, it is something that we totally condemn in its entirety, it is definitely a devilish act and we are demanding for the immediate unconditional release of this staff.
“Those who have undertaken this devilish act did not drop down from the skies into our communities and so we have to ensure that they are fished out and dealt with decisively and of course take every measure to ensure that this type of thing does not happen again.”
Responding, the traditional rulers in a seven-point communiqué signed by 15 monarchs said the expatriate’s abduction was a deliberate attempt by enemies of the Kalabari people to sabotage the progress of the area.
Reading the communiqué, the Amayanabo of Abonnema, King Desreel Gbobo Bobmanuel, represented by the Amayanabo of Minama, Iboroma Talbot Pokubo, condemned the incident and assured the deputy governor that the criminals would be exposed.
He said; “We believe thay this is an act of sabotage from internal or external source and this action is a ploy of those that hate the Kalabari kingdom and it’s progress, especially those within us who love money more their people. We will take severe actions and every necessary steps to fish out the Judases among us.”
Earlier, the Chairman of PDP Elders Council, Rivers state, Ferdinand Anabraba, said the ugly incident was orchestrated to rubbish the good works of the state governor, Nyesom Wike in the Kalabari region.
“It is a very sad incident that such an important project, the trans-Kalabari road project is being tampered with by persons who do not mean well for our people.
“If their intention is to run down the good works of our dear governor over a project which we the Kalabari people have been yearning for for years, then I’m sure God almighty with not allow them to get away with it such a dastardly act of kidnapping one of the expatriates of the construction company.”
