Paul Osuyi
An 8-year-old female kidnap victim, Yvonne Shokare, has reportedly escaped from her abductors’ hideout located in the bushes around Issele-Uku in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.
Little Yvonne fled from her captors and ran for safety to members of a local vigilante group who had mobilised rescue efforts following her reported kidnap.
She told her rescuers that she escaped unnoticed as her kidnappers, suspected to be herdsmen, were fast asleep apparently after fighting hard to make away with the victim.
It was gathered that when the kidnappers stormed the victim’s home located opposite Issele-Uku Technical College, her father, Mr Ese Shokare, put up a stiff resistance.
Mr Shokare, a teacher, was stabbed in the head and other parts of his body in order to overpower him and whisk away his daughter.
He was resuscitated at the intensive care unit of the General Hospital in Issele-Uku, where he is still being treated.
President-General of Issele-Uku Development Union, Mr Ofordile Ugeh, who alerted people of the town and coordinated the rescue mission, thanked God for saving Issele-Uku from the horrendous attack.
He commended the vigilantes for their heroism, as he called for and better security arrangements to forestall such occurrences in Issele-Uku and surrounding areas.
Although the matter has been reported at the police station in Issele-Uku, the vigilantes are said to be on the trail of the kidnappers in the bush.