The dead body of former President
Goodluck Jonathan’s nephew was found floating along a creek in Otuoke
yesterday, according to witnesses. The deceased, Mr. Samuel Oki, was 35
years old and was abducted along with Mr. Jonathan’s foster father
Inegite Jonathan on Wednesday.
Armed gunmen, suspected to be kidnappers, abducted the 72-year-old
Inegite Jonathan on Wednesday, but the kidnapping of Mr. Oki was not
noticed until several hours later.
The discovery of Mr. Oki’s decomposing body by Otuoke community
members has increased fears for the safety of the 72-year-old victim
whose location is still unknown. The villagers who were seen discussing
the sad incident speculated that the young man tried to resist the
kidnappers.
Some said that they heard a gunshot on Wednesday, as the kidnappers
were believed to be fleeing through the waterways. According to them,
divers and local fisherman had recovered the body and anchored it by the
riverside to prevent the body from being carried away by water
currents.
The body has been deposited at a morgue in the area. The kidnappers
have yet to establish contact with the family of their hostage since
Wednesday’s abduction. This is the second time Mr. Inegite Jonathan has
been kidnapped.
On February 28th, 2014 he was kidnapped and later freed by security
forces on March 10th, 2014. One local resident described the 2014
experience as “traumatic” and that Mr. Jonathan had been beaten and
kicked by his abductors.
Asinim Butswat, the Bayelsa State Police Public Relations Officer,
confirmed the incident and said that the police were trailing the
kidnappers. “On the 17 February, 2016, at about 3:30am, seven unknown
gunmen abducted one Inengite Nitabai at his residence in Otuoke, Ogbia
Local Government Area.
“A massive manhunt has been launched by a combined team of Marine
Police and Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Command, to rescue the victim and
arrest the abductors.
The investigation is ongoing,” Mr. Butswat said Nancy Dickson, 26,
the younger sister to Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, was
abducted in December 2015 and has been held captive for more than fifty
days.
The Governor had, in his first term in office, signed the
anti-kidnapping law that prescribes a death sentence for kidnapping.
Despite this there have been no convictions and kidnappings continue to
thrive in the State.
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