Tony John, Port Harcourt
Unidentified gunmen have abducted Bishop of Anglican Church, Diocese of Ahoada, Rt. Rev. Clement Ekpeye.
Bishop Ekpeye was reportedly kidnapped at gunpoint, on Tuesday night, at the Bishop’s Court, along Odiemerenyi Road, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the abduction of the cleric to journalists.
Omoni disclosed that men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) had been deployed and mandated to ensure the rescue of the bishop.
In a related development, the Police Command’s spokesman has confirmed the arrest and detention of the police personnel, who shot a passenger of a commercial bus around Rumuji axis of East West Road, within Emohua Local Government Area of the state.
The personnel, who was on stop-and-search mission at Evekwu axis on the East-West Road, with other colleagues, had shot at a passenger who was travelling on a popular passenger bus from Warri in Delta State to Port Harcourt.
Omoni said the policeman has been handed over to the Criminal Investigation Department, adding that Section 237 of Police Code, which boarders on how an officer should use firearm, would be evoked on the suspect.
He said the incident happened on December 11, adding that the victim has already been discharged from the hospital.
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Also, a youth identified as Chibuike, has been gunned down by suspected cultists in Choba community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
The Daily Sun gathered that a woman was also shot by the bandits, who invaded the area fully armed.
Community sources said that Chibuike was killed, on Monday night, along Igbogo Road, in Choba.
It was further gathered that the incident occurred few hours after the Choba chiefs and elders had invoked a strange deity in the land against killings, kidnapping and robbery activities in the area.
However, the youths leader in the community, Francis Ihunda, who confirmed the incident to newsmen, described it as ‘tragic’.
Ihunda noted that the gunmen, after killing their target, also invaded a shop in the area and snatched a car from its owner at gunpoint.
The command’s spokesman, Omoni said the police were not aware if any male was killed during the invasion.
He said a lady was shot by the invaders, adding that she is currently undergoing treatment in an undisclosed health faculty in the state.