Gunmen abduct 10-year-old boy, kill two in Delta

By MICHAEL OLADAPO, Asaba

Armed men suspected to be bandits yesterday abducted a 10-year-old boy identified as Chimeremezie Izu, from his mother at Ani Ngene, Core Area 4, GRA, at No. 5 Kelvin Street, new general hospital Asaba, Delta State.

Daily Independent gathered that the incident occurred around 3:37am on Wednesday December 16th 2020.

Our source, an activist, the Director General (DG), Young Nigerian Rights Organization, Comrade Victor Ojei, said that “Around 2 to 3:00am this morning, a small boy was kidnapped by armed men, four buildings away from a friend’s house”.

According to him, “The gunmen actually came to rob the house but could not find cash they took the woman’s only son away with them”.

Mother of the victim, Mrs. Joy Debbi Ifeoma Izu, who narrated her ordeal in the hands of the criminals revealed that her face and hands were tied after they saw no reasonable amount with her.

She equally noted that the saving box belonging to her children was also destroyed and some cash the robbers saw in it coupled with little sum of money on her were collected.

“This thing happened around 3:37am this morning. I was asleep when I heard a sound of something, so I woke up and ran from my room to my children’s room.”

“One of them came to window of my room and asked me to shut up or he will shoot me. So, I ran into the toilet and I continued shouting “Please help me armed robbers” but nobody came.

“Before I knew it, they were already on me. They came inside my room, brought me out of the toilet and they said I should bring the money. So, I pointed at one box and I said the money is inside and they ordered me to bring it down and I brought it down.

“There was no money at home. Actually, I was trying to delay them to see if people can come to my rescue because I have shouted for help. I brought down about three to four bags to delay them in the process of searching for money. So, after everything, they beat me, they said I was deceiving them”.

She further disclosed that she was forced to give the hoodlums her pin after she was dispossessed of her ATM card and Android phone.

“They told me to call them. They collected the little money that was with me at home and they went to the children’s room. They saw their saving box, they broke it and they removed the whole money after which they tied me.

“They wanted to carry me but they said if they carry me who will bring money for them. So, they were contemplating whether to carry my son or daughter. So, finally they tied my hands and they carried my son and collected one of my Android phone and they asked me to call them this morning and they left”.

Similarly, on Tuesday 15th December 2020, two persons were murdered by hoodlums who also stormed the area for operation.

“Two people were killed right inside their houses yesterday by new general hospital axis of Asaba, Delta State yesterday early morning.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya, confirmed the killing, though she revealed the killing occurred Monday 14th December, 2020.

“Some people who were doing morning devotion were killed according to the report. I think whether they shut from the window and bullets touched two persons and they were rushed to the hospital and they were confirmed dead”, but could not confirm the kidnap” she said. (Daily Independent)