From PAUL OSUYI, Asaba
TWELVE days of his kidnap by gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, the decomposing corpse of Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of ‘C’ Division, Asaba, SP Valentine Mbalu has discovered.
His corpse was found in the bush around Umunede in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State, according to a dependable source.
The source disclosed that one of the suspected kidnappers, a native of Fulani who sells water mellon at Abraka market within the Asaba metropolis has been arrested.
The unfortunate incident has thrown the Delta State Police Command into mourning amidst vows from top officers of the command to unmask those behind the dastard act.
Sources within the command informed Saturday Sun that the hoodlums have touched the tail of the tiger, hence they should be ready for the consequence.
Public Relations Officer of the command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, in a gloomy mood, confirmed the unfortunate incident but declined to give further details apparently for his moody nature.
Mr. Mbalu was abducted by the gunmen on Sunday, March 5, 2017 around Igbodo along the Benin-Asaba-Onitsha expressway at about 4pm while returning to Asaba from Agbor where he was said to have spent the weekend with his family.
His abductors had opened negotiation with the family, initially demanding a ransom of N20 million before reducing to N5 million.
But few hours after the media blew up the story of the kidnap which the command was trying to keep under wraps, the hoodlums ceased further communications.
DSP Aniamaka was very economical with the details of the kidnap at the initial stages obviously to conceal the identity of the victim who in mufti as at the time the hostage takers struck.
Meanwhile, Saturday Sun recall that the death of the DPO in the hands of his abductors is coming after about fourteen months when the Obi of Ubulu-Uku in Aniocha South Local Government Area, Obi Akaeze Ofulue III of the state was kidnapped and subsequently killed.
The first class monarch was kidnapped on January 5, 2016 along Igbodo-Obior road while on his way to Asaba, and his decomposing corpse was found in the bushes around Umunede after about two weeks.
The incident shook the entire state, re-awakening the crisis that rocked his enthronement as the Obi of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom way back in 2006.