Suspected robbers on Sunday evening stormed the residence of an engineer, Mr. Samson Opaluwa, in Karmo, Abuja, kidnapping two female members of the family after robbing them. While the elder lady, Ejura Opaluwa, is 23 years, her sister, Unekwu is four years younger.
It was learnt that the gunmen, who drove in a blue Honda Accord car with registration number, HR 152 ABC, stormed the family’s residence on Impresit Camp, Associated Estate about 5pm. Our correspondent gathered that the gunmen raided the entire house and dispossessed the residents of their valuables.
After carrying out the operation, the robbers were said to have been dissatisfied with the money they got. It was gathered that as they were leaving, they abducted the two sisters. Speaking with our correspondent on telephone, the uncle of the ladies, Mr. Amade Opaluwa, said the abductors had demanded a ransom of N150m from the family.
He said, “That evening, they came to the engineer’s residence in the estate. They made away with some amount of money, but still went ahead to abduct our two sisters. We have reported the incident to the Life Camp Police Division, and they said they were on top of the situation. “The abductors have contacted us.
“They initially demanded N200m as ransom, but now, they have brought it down to N150m. We implore anyone with useful information to help us by contacting the nearest police station.” Our correspondent further learnt that although there had been incidence of robbery in other houses in and around the estate, the gunmen robbed only the Opaluwa family before making away with the sisters.
It was also leant that Ejura studies Medicine at the St. Lucia University in South America, while the younger sister is an Economics student at the Covenant University, Ogun State. The uncle further noted that the father, Samson, who is a director in the Federal Ministry of Works, and the mother were worried about the whereabouts of their daughters.
He added that the entire family hoped that they would be released as soon as possible. When our correspondent contacted the Abuja Police Public Relations Officer, Altine Daniel, she confirmed the abduction and said the police were working on it.
“Yes, a case of abduction was reported to the police division, and this is a case which involves human lives. So, we are treading softly, and we are keeping our fingers crossed. I assure you that the police are working on it, and I do not want to say more than that,” she said.
In a related development, The Kwara Police Command on Wednesday arrested four policemen over the botched arrest of a student of Al-Hikimah University, llorin, Kwara State in North Central Nigeria.
The state Police Commissioner, Ambrose Aisabor, ordered the arrest of the policemen after they were brought to his office.
The policemen, from the Lagos State Command, were assigned to arrest the student. The attempt to arrest the student led to pandemonium on the campus of the institution.
Aisabor said the policemen carried out their assignment in an unprofessional manner as they did not liaise with the Area Commander in Ilorin as instructed by the Lagos State Command in a letter.
He also said the attempt to arrest the student at the university without consulting the Divisional Police Officer in the area and the Chief Security Officer of the institution was unprofessional.
The commissioner, who dismissed speculations that the policemen were Boko Haram members, said investigation had commenced into the incident. The Chief Security Officer of Al-Hikimah University, Alhaji Salihu Bello, also said that normalcy had returned to the institution after the arrest of the policemen.
Bello also dismissed rumours that the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Suleiman Age; the Registrar, Hajia Rashidat Oladimeji; and some students were wounded. He said the policemen refused to contact him before making an attempt to arrest the student. He said this led to the pandemonium on the campus.
