Seven kidnapped hostages taken along Rivers/ Bayelsa waterways have been rescued.
The Base Commander NNS Pathfinder in Port Harcourt, Commodore Suleiman Ibrahim said personnel of the navy rescued the victims whose kidnapping was spearheaded by one Victor Padi.
Ibrahim told newsmen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital on Tuesday that victims were on their way from Bonny to Port Harcourt when the kidnappers seized them.
“On the 10th of May 2022, we had an ugly incident of kidnapping where some passengers who were on a commercial boat from Bonny to Port Harcourt were intercepted by pirates and were taken captive to an unknown location. As soon as the information got across to us we mobilised and started tracking to identify who actually committed this crime”
Ibrahim continued, “After a series of investigations, it was discovered that one Victor Padi was the mastermind of the criminal act. From there, we moved and stormed his camp but unfortunately by the time we got to the camp he had reallocated his victims. After several collaborations with other partners, we discovered that he had reallocated to a location in Bayelsa State.
“We immediately mobilized from Rivers state and collaborated with our base in Bayelsa and stormed the camp where he reallocated the victims. He further moved them because he understands the terrain very well.
“When we got to the second location we mounted pressure on him and an ultimatum was given to his collaborators and as God would have it on the 21st of midnight May, 2022, the victims were rescued unharmed,” he said.
One of the freed victims, Jude Isabo said the kidnappers kept them under terrible conditions and collected more than N1 million from them.
