Six women, four children abducted by hoodlums.

Ten people, including four children, were purportedly kidnapped by hoodlums in the Isua, Join Karama community in Engenni, Ahoada West Local Government Area of Rivers State, who are thought to be Creek residents.

According to reports, the women went to their farms to harvest their crops in order to save them from the impending heavy rains and flooding.

According to an LGA source known only as Ezuwa, the criminals crossed the river from a neighbouring town named Oshobele before entering the city.

He described the kidnapping as one of several security concerns the community was facing and said that the development had worried the inhabitants and locals.

Ezuwa stated, “The women went to their farms to harvest crops because of the looming floods. The boys (abductors) had to cross from the neighbouring Oshobele axis to the farm to kidnap them and their children.

“This is just one out of the many that have been going on in the local government. The people have raised concerns to the local government chairman and the police division in Akinima, but nothing has been done so far.”

He said the latest incident was capable of igniting a communal crisis, “because it is now seen as an Ekpeye and Engenni issue.”

Ezuwa revealed that the community paid the hoodlums’ demand of N450,000, which they claimed was a security vote, last Sunday.

He bemoaned the lack of police officers in the area, which he claimed gave the criminals the audacity to operate.

While noting that many persons have fled the community, Ezuwa noted, “The few ones at home were asked to pay a form of living allowance, N450,000 or they would kill everybody in the community.

“Out of fear, they paid the money. They then brought new guidelines for each household to pay N1,500 every week which will be remitted to the criminals. And because of fear nobody can even go outside. We can’t really say where they hail from, but they came through Oshobele, kidnapped these people at Isua and crossed back to Oshobele, which is their hideout.”

He urged the Rivers State Government to ensure the women’s and their children’s release, warning that if the situation wasn’t handled correctly, it would lead to a racial conflict between Isua and its neighbor, Oshobele.

The spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, saying, “Efforts are on to ensure the release of the women and the children, and as you know the command is not sleeping. We are after the kidnappers. As we speak the Commissioner of Police has deployed the tactical team to ensure they are arrested and made to face the law for their actions.”