Kiidnapped mother of Bayelsa House of Assembly Leader released

A combined team of the Joint Task Force in the Niger Delta codenamed Operation Pulo Shield, the SSS and the police have on Tuesday secured the release of the abducted mother of the Leader of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mrs. Esther Akpe.
The 59 year old woman was kidnapped last Tuesday at Ebedebiri in Sagbama local government area of the state armed gunmen.
Though it could not ascertained if ransom was paid to the kidnappers who had earlier demanded N80m which they later reduced to N8m, N6m and  N2m.
But Vanguard gathered that the woman escaped from the kidnappers den in a community somewhere in Ughelli South council area of Delta State when security operatives engaged her captors in a fierce gunfight.
She was said to have found her way to Arhavwariea community also in Ughelli where a good samaritan contacted her family.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Lt. Col Bernard Kenabai (rtd) said the combined security operatives including Joint Task Force, the Police and men of the State Security Service mounted pressure on the suspected kidnappers and this led to the release of the woman who has been held captive for close to one week.
He said Mrs Akpe was picked up by one of the rescue teams in a community in Ughelli South council area of Delta State and brought to Yenagoa around 6pm and has since re-united with her family.
The security aide disclosed that no ransom was paid as according to him, payment of ransom to suspected kidnappers is tantamount to compromise which is contrary to the state government anti kidnapping law.
He warned intending kidnappers in the state that the present administration would not condone any act of criminality and urged them to stay clear from the state.
“Bayelsa State is no longer a fertile land for kidnappers and other evil perpetrators,” he said.
The state police public relations officer, Mr. Fidelis Odunna (DSP) confirmed the development saying the woman escaped from her kidnappers den following a shoot out between the police and her kidnappers.