Police confirm abduction of Local Govt chairman

The Police Command in Rivers has confirmed the abduction of the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Ahoada East Local Government Area, Chief Cassidy Ikegbudu,

The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Muhammad, told the NAN in Port Harcourt that Ikegbudu was abducted in the early hours of Saturday, April 18.

Muhammad said that the police had received report of the abduction of the council chairman and "the command is aware of the incident involving the caretaker committee chairman."

"Action has been put in place to rescue him safely,’’ he said.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly candidate for Ahoada East Constituency 1, Eric Apia, told NAN that armed men abducted Ikegbudu from his village, Yiboko, early on Saturday.

Reports received from his family said there was exchange of fire between security personnel attached to the chairman and the armed men.

"The armed men later took the chairman away, dragged him to a nearby river and went away in a speed boat,’’ Apia said.

Rivers State has witnessed series of violence, abductions and arrests since the March 28 and April general elections, which has left many dead.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has cried out that elections in the state were marred by irregularities, but the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which won the governorship poll in the state, insists the outcome of elections in Rivers is the will of the people.