From Wilson Okereke, Afikpo
An Indian, Mr Anantran Bargarhi and two of his colleagues working with a mining company, Royal Salt Limited, narrowly escaped being kidnapped by some suspected hoodlums on Tuesday, November 29, at Ijoko in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
A resident who did not want to be mentioned told our reporter that the company workers alongside the three foreigners were carrying out exploration at the site when suddenly the miscreants allegedly invaded the place to seize the expatriates. But they were repelled by some security officers attached to the miners.
According to the man, it was around 3:30pm on the fateful day that the suspected kidnappers stormed the site in their number and began to shoot sporadically to scare the security personnel, an action which resulted to a gun duel between the two parties. At the end, the invaders were humbled by the superior fire power of the security personnel and they took to their heels without achieving their evil motive.
Our source disclosed that the exchange of fire lasted for a reasonable period as if the people were in a war front until after a team from the Izzi Divisional Police Headquarters led by the DPO joined forces with their colleagues and repelled them. But before then, the miscreants set a Hilux van belonging to the mining company ablaze: “Before the said attack, there was no problem concerning the site as the entire community is in support of the intending mining work, this shows that the major plan of the miscreants was simply to abduct the foreigners for business but as God would have it, their plan was foiled by the tactical security personnel who chased them away without any casualty being recorded.”
It was learnt that the traumatized expatriates were later taken to the State Command’s headquarters in Abakaliki and officially handed over to the police hierarchy in the state.
The company declined reaction as one of its key officials simply identified as Mr Obi would not speak on the issue when contacted on phone.
But Police Public Relations Officer, Chris Anyanwu, confirmed the incident, disclosing that immediately they received a distress call that the expatriates were under attack, their team quickly moved to the area and saved them.