Gunmen In Speedboats Abduct Traditional Ruler In Rivers

The traditional ruler was said to have been abducted by yet-to-be identified gunmen riding in about five speedboats during the weekend, according to PMNigeria reports.

Gunmen suspected to kidnappers have reportedly abducted the Chairman of Abissa Council of Chiefs, High Chief Matthew Opoto in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of Rivers State.

The traditional ruler was said to have been abducted by yet-to-be identified gunmen riding in about five speedboats during the weekend, according to PMNigeria reports.

The abduction, according to reports, happened when the High Chief was travelling with members of his council of chiefs through the Abisse waterway in the Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.

The paper quoted an indigene of the area, Minaibiye Dolphin, to have confirmed incident. He noted that the chiefs were about five minutes away from their destination when the gunmen in speedboats waylaid them with guns and demanded that Chief Opoto be identified among them.

“And immediately he was identified, Chief Opoto was abducted. Members of the community have been worried about the fate of their traditional rulers,” he said.

Dolphin, however, appealed to security agencies and the state government to facilitate his release.

Efforts made by Eaglesforesight correspondent to find out what the state police command was doing about the issue were unsuccessful as the Command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko rejected several calls to his mobile line and did not respond to a text message sent to him.