Kidnap Attempt Victims Fall into River

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An attempt to kidnap company workers on the Eleme axis of the East-West Road in Rivers State on Monday night ended with the Toyota Hilux van carrying an expatriate and other passengers skidding off the bridge and falling into the Okulu River at Aleto also on the East-West Road.

Details were still sketchy on Tuesday morning when the Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, led a team to retrieve the Hilux Van and possibly rescue the occupants.

Witnesses said a convoy of vehicles conveying the victims and other people was ambushed at that point by armed hoodlums, whose mission was to kidnap the occupants and escape with them through the river.

But the driver of the Hilux Van in an attempt to avoid the ambush, skidded off the bridge and fell into the river.

By Tuesday morning, the Chairman of the local government called out rescue teams from the navy and other agencies to help retrieve the van and possibly rescue the victims.

The two bridges at that point have been vulnerable with their side railings having been vandalised. The spot is also where RCC is erecting a new bridge as part of the reconstruction of the Eleme axis of the East-West Road.

Last year, several attempts were made to kidnap people at night on that bridge, which made the police to temporarily deploy a squad there.