By Itiunbe Atunka and Ushang Ewa
Unknown Gunmen struck again in Obudu, kidnapping a hotelier and owner of ‘Valley of Beracah’ hotels, George Imanyi Wednesday night CrossRiverWatch authoritatively reports.
This is the third kidnap in four weeks and the eight person to be kidnapped since 2015 when the first abduction case was reported with a businessman, Sunday Anagwe paying over a million Naira to be released after an initial NGN10million demanded as ransom.
Mr. Imanyi, findings reveal, was in his hospitality facility when the gunmen stormed the hotel at about 7:00PM Wednesday saying “Stop the music and lie down” and proceeded to abduct him, forced him into a vehicle and drove off.
Sources say staff of the hotel alerted the Police immediately and they engaged the kidnappers in a high speed chase as they fled in their vehicle westwards, towards Ogoja.
The chase CrossRiverWatch gathered ended somewhere around Okworotung where the Police is said to have had an accident.
No contact has been made with either staff of the facility or family members, findings reveal.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer in the State, ASP Irene Ugbo told CrossRiverWatch that she is yet to be briefed and will get back to our correspondent once she confirms the case.
This comes barely a fortnight after Cross River Governor, Senator Ben Ayade who hails from Obudu, announced the introduction of the ‘Hafiz Law’ which offers NGN1million reward for whistleblowers who offer credible information leading to the arresting of kidnappers in the state.
Obudu has seen a wave of kidnappings with the kidnap of the Chief Librarian of the Federal College of Education Obudu, Mr Godwin Angiating in June 2015 following that of Sunday Anagwe in March 2015.
The abduction of Pastor Walter Ibe, a lecturer in the department of Computer Science in the same institution in May 2016 followed suit and in October 2016, staff of the institution protested following the kidnap of one Mrs. Anyocha, a principal lecturer of Igbo language.
About three days after the protest, the Chairman of the Obudu Urban Development Authority, Canice Atsu kidnapped four days earlier was released.
Jude Akwagiobe Agaba, popularly referred to as ‘FG’, a palm wine seller for decades was abducted in a vehicle which looked like it had gone to the auto shop with damaged body parts with his pregnant wife beaten and kicked in the stomach on February 2, 2017 and was released a week later after an initial ransom demand of NGN5million was relaxed to NGN1million.
Five days after FG’s release, a man simply identified as Simon who owns the Simbless pharmaceutical shop, at No. 1 Uquart Street, in Obudu and popularly referred to as ‘Jehovah’ was abducted at about 8:30pm in his house after closure from his shop.
He was released last weekend with the Police nabbing 5 suspects which includes 3 women and 2 men following the discovery of a trail of blood discovered on their car heading towards Vandeikya.
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