BY FRANCIS ENOMA
BENIN CITY; A kidnap victim identified as Kingsley Ovie Akposheri has been rescued by the police in Benin City.
The victim was alleged to have been abducted by gunmen on Textile Mill Road, Benin City, at about 7.30pm on Saturday, April 6,2019 and taken to the outskirts of the city on Sapele Road.
Luck however smiled on the victim when a police team on patrol in the area spotted the unidentified gunmen and the victim as they were about to take him into the bush. .
Two of the kidnappers were said to have fled into the bush while the others escaped in their operational vehicle while the victim was rescued unhurt by the police.
The victim’s family has however raised an alarm that a local politician ( name with held), is responsible for their son’s ordeal.
A member of the Akposheri family, Chief Gilbert Akposheri alleged in an interview with newsmen in Benin City yesterday that the politician who was once a local government council chairman but now in parliament, wants to kill their son, Kingsley Ovie Akposheri for blowing the lead on his alleged plan to eliminate another rival politician.
Chief Akposheri alleged that Kingsley and other members of the family had been threatened by the politician in recent days, adding that a case of threats to life was reported to the police against the politician but the police failed to look into the case, apparently because of the status of the politician in the society.
“We are not surprised that our son Kingsley Ovie Akposheri was kidnapped by gunmen. We know it will come to this because the politician has vowed to deal with him and members of his family for daring to expose his nefarious activities. We reported a case of threats to life against the politician but the police failed to invite him or look into the matter to ascertain the veracity of our claim”, Chief Akposheri said.
The police however said the kidnap of Kingsley Ovie Akposheri may not be unconnected with cult- related activities.
“We are witnessing an upsurge in clult- related killings in parts of Benin City. We are working on the theory that the kidnap was another cult induced violence. The victim is lucky to have been rescued alive”, the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Frank Nwabuzor said in a statement in Benin City yesterday.
