The Police on Tuesday confirmed the abduction of a 38-year- old woman, Mrs Ijeoma Nweke, around Dr Laz Nwuzor Street, Hill Top area of Abakaliki by suspected kidnappers.
Mrs Lovett Odah, Ebonyi Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who confirmed the abduction in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the incident took place at about 5 a.m. on Monday.
According to her, the victim and her 13-year-old daughter, in company of others, were going for the early morning mass at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, located in the area when the incident occurred.
She said that investigations were ongoing to ascertain the motive of the abduction as the suspects had not contacted the victim’s family for any ransom.
“Some men suspected to be kidnappers suddenly emerged from the bush, chased and abducted Nweke on their way to morning mass at St John the Evangelist Catholic Church.
“The daughter narrowly escaped, ran back and informed the father, Mr John Nweke, of the abduction of the mother who reported the matter to the Police.
“We are still carrying out investigations to unravel the motive behind the abduction since the suspects had not contacted the family to demand ransom.
“The command has deployed men of the State Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the State Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), who are currently combing the area to fish out the suspects and free the victim,” Odah said.
She assured that the command would leave no stone unturned in ensuring the early rescue of the victim and reunite her with her family members as well as arrest and prosecute the culprits.
She called on members of the public to remain vigilant, imbibe security consciousness and report suspicious movements around their areas promptly to the Police and other law enforcement agencies.
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