By Ovie Okpare
Unknown number of persons have been reportedly been kidnapped by armed gunmen along the busy Warri-Ughelli Expressway in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The incident, NIGER DELTA TODAY Online learnt, occurred around the bend between Ekreravwen Junction and Umvwiamuge-Agbarho Junction near the Urhobo House in Agbarho.
The area is known for notorious criminal activities as many other victims had been kidnapped in that same spot in the past.
In September 2019, several travellers were also abducted in the area leading to the killing of a police inspector.
Sources told our correspondent that the number of kidnapped persons were not fewer than ten when the gunmen took over a section of the road for travellers heading towards Warri from Ughelli.
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The incident happened at about 6pm on Wednesday.
Multiple sources told our correspondent that the gunmen were numbering over eight.
The heavily armed hoodlums were said to have stormed the road from the nearby bush shooting sporadically.
They were said to have also escaped through the bush path.
One person was said to have sustained gun wound during the attack.
About five vehicles including a commercial bus belonging to Agofure Motors were said to have ran into the attack.
The gunmen were said to have contacted a family member of one of the victims in the early hours of Thursday.
It was not still clear the number persons that were abducted by the kidnappers as of the time of filing this report.
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Meanwhile, the State Police Command has confirmed the incident, saying a rescue operation had already been launched to free the victims.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the incident to NIGER DELTA TODAY (NDT) Online, when contacted.
“The police cannot ascertain how many persons were kidnapped. The kidnappers have only made call to one person (one woman’s husband). Several persons were kidnapped but we don’t know the number for now. So, let’s not exaggerate the figures.
“Right from the time the incident happened, our men have been in the bush trying to rescue the victims. The kidnappers were repelled by the Dragon Patrol team on the highway. If not, it would have been worse that what it is.
“We don’t know if anybody was killed. But one wounded person was rescued”, Onovwakpoyeya said.
