We Are Trailing Abductors of Irrua Hospital CMD, Says Edo CP

Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Danmallam Mohammed, on Wednesday said his men are on the trail of the criminals who kidnapped the Chief Medical Director of Irrua Specialist Hospital, Prof. Sylvanus Okigbeni, which led to the death of two policemen.

This is coming as the abductors are yet to make contact with the family since the incident happened last Monday.

Mohammed, who stated this after a closed-door security meeting, confirmed that two gallant policemen were lost during the kidnap of the CMD which took place at Ramat Park on his way to Benin Airport last Monday for a meeting in Abuja.

"The kidnap of CMD is quite unfortunate and sad. We lost two of our gallant police officers in the incident but there were no civilian casualties. I am assuring members of the public that we are on the trail of the kidnappers, and by God's grace, we shall arrest them.

"Investigation is already ongoing, but the strategy will not be revealed for security reasons. However, we assure Edo people that the CMD will be rescued soon. We are on top of our game and we will surely rescue him as we have been doing a lot of work on our major highways in the state," he said.

The commissioner of police insisted that the state is the most peaceful in the South-south zone of the country despite the recent kidnap incident.

According to him, "Edo is the most peaceful state in the South-south region of the country, and we are putting in our best to ensure that the state remains peaceful. We are also strategising to checkmate the activities of criminals."

Meanwhile family members with sick ones at the hospital have been withdrawing them following the strike by workers and resident doctors of the hospital as a protest against the kidnap of their boss.

  

Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Odijie Ernest Ohue, told journalists that “we are yet to be contacted by the kidnappers; we are worried and the workers have continued with their strike because they are pained by the incident. The man (CMD) has been doing a great work here. So some parents have come to withdraw their wards because of the strike.”

  

Similarly, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has given the assurance that security agencies in the state are working assiduously to rescue Okogbeni.

He said all units of the state security architecture are on top of their game to ensure that the abducted CMD regains his freedom.

"We have stepped up surveillance in the past weeks in the state with our new security architecture. Citizens have been going about their daily activities peacefully. But the kidnap of the CMD is a setback. However, Edo people should be assured that security agencies will certainly trail the kidnappers and rescue Prof. Okogbeni. I just finished a closed-door meeting with security chiefs in the state. I have been assured of his rescue, as we have useful information which the security agencies are working on. I pray we get in touch with the victim soon.

'We can't disclose much at this time as security services are working hard. You know we made significant investment in our security architecture and hopefully we shall contact him soon," Obaseki said.