Gunmen kidnap 102-yr-old mother of Mosogar monarch in WARRI

WARRI—GUNMEN, numbering about six, have kidnapped Mrs. Okpa Omene, a 102- year- old mother of the Ovie of Mosogar Kingdom, Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, HRM, Samson Omene, Udurhie I.


They have demanded N100 million ramson for her release. She was kidnapped from her Ugbomoya waterside village, near Jesse, at about 7pm.


Hoodlums have also burgled the Mosogar country home of a former Commissioner for Housing in the state, Chief Abraham Bobor.


Bobor expressed sadness, yesterday, over the incident and called on the Inspector General of Police and other relevant security agencies to provide adequate security for him, adding that his life was recently threatened by a politician in the area and that the matter was duly reported to the police.


Meanwhile,  on the reported rescue of a woman and her three children from a kidnappers’ den by the police on Tuesday, in the state, the Okpako of Ogunu community, Chief Moses Agbogidi and a member of the Delta Waterways Security Committee, DWSC, Warri, Chief Vincent Okudulor, said,  yesterday, that such an  incident never happened at Ogunu.


Chief Okudolor said: “There is no kidnappers’ den in Ogunu community, except you are talking of another community. We are going to send a delegation to the Divisional Police Officer,  Ebrumede Police station, who reportedly led the operation  to find out if the police are, indeed, talking of Ogunu or another community that bears a similar name.”


Meanwhile the Mosogar Monarch, Samuel Omene; President-General of Mosogar community, Chief Joseph Omene and former chairman of Ethiope West Local Government, Dr. Wilson Omene, who are all sons of the victim, pleaded with the kidnappers, yesterday, to free their mother.


Chief Joseph Omene, told Vanguard on phone that the kidnappers initially demanded N150 million as ransom, but had reduced it to N100 million.  Dr. Omene, also confirmed that the kidnappers had called severally demanding a ransom of N100 million.


Vanguard gathered that the 102-year-old woman was abducted at Ogbomoya waterside in Jesse village, while the kidnappers preferred that Chief Wilson Omene should negotiate with them on behalf of the family.


The elderly woman was said to be resting  in the boys’ quarters of her bungalow when the kidnapers struck and took her away in a dark coloured Audi 80, Station Wagon car.


An eye witness and aide of the victim, Mr. Frank Oghenedoro, said when the kidnappers drove into the premises, he opened the gate to know who they were, thinking that they were usual visitors to the centenarian, but to his surprise, he saw six heavily armed men, who ordered him to direct them to where the old woman was relaxing.


He said that on noticing that they were armed, he shouted  but the sporadic gun shots of the kidnappers sent the villagers running for safety.


He said he watched from a distance as the old woman, was whisked away.