Gunmen abduct commissioner’s wife in Delta

Ovie Okpare, Warri

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have reportedly abducted Mrs Theresa Sakpra, wife of the Commissioner for Special Duties Governor’s Office, Chief Henry Sakpra, around Ekete Inland Junction along the DSC Expressway in Udu Local Government Council of Delta State.

Sources told our correspondent that Mrs Sakpra was allegedly abducted by the hoodlums on her way home from her shop at about 6:15pm last Thursday (June 1) after dropping one of her sales girls along the Expressway and whisked to unknown destination.

A political associate of the commissioner confirmed the incident under the strict condition of anonymity, adding that the victim was kidnapped alongside with her car but the vehicle was later recovered the following day along the Effurun/Ughelli section of the East-West road.

It was however not clear if the abductors had contacted the Sakpra family for any ransom as efforts to contact the husband were unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, youths under the aegis of Udu Youth Council have appealed to the hoodlums to release the victim without no further delay describing the spate of kidnapping within the as worrisome.

The youths in a statement signed by its President, Mr Otito Yembra, and three others, “The abduction of Chief Sakpra’s wife was not only a cowardly act by desperate characters that seek to profit from their criminal conduct, but also a sore reminder of the growing resurgence of criminality as it concerns the despicable and anti-social kidnapping industry in Urhobo land and Udu in particular.

“We join friends, family and other well-meaning Nigerians in calling on the abductors of the respected Chief Mrs Theresa Sakpra to immediately release her unconditionally and unhurt on humanitarian ground. We are also calling on the security agencies to do their utmost to find Chief Mrs Theresa Sakpra without any further delay so as to reunite her with her family.”

The spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, DSC Andrew Aniamaka, when contacted by our correspondent on Sunday, declined to speak on the incident but a senior police officer in the confirmed abduction of the commissioner’s wife.

Effort to speak to the state commissioner of police, Mr Zanna Ibrahim, proved abortive as calls and text message to his telephone line were not pick and replied.