Facts have emerged on how President of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Peter Igbifa, was abducted in commando-style along the Port Harcourt International Airport Road on his way to board a flight to Abuja.
Checks at the Rivers State police command indicated that a witness, Wilson Imason, had reported the incident to the police at about 2.30pm on Tuesday, May 25, hours after the incident occurred.
Imason, an aide to the IYC president reportedly told the police that the incident occurred at about 9.am while he was riding aboard an SUV with his boss, Igbifa, along the Airport Road.
He said three armed men aboard an unmarked car suddenly blocked the IYC president’s SUV and forcibly abducted him to an unknown destination.
However, those behind the abduction could not be immediately ascertained but the police said the incident is under investigation.
His abduction happened hours before the expiration of the 30 days ultimatum the IYC gave the Federal Government to constitute the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Board or have the region shut down by Ijaw youths.
Igbifa issued the notice on April 26 and followed it up with a warning on May 17 asking all multinational oil companies operating in the region to evacuate and peacefully shut down their oil platforms before the expiration of the notice at midnight of May 26.
The Ijaw youth leader while issuing the warning had stated that it was important for oil workers to leave the region as Ijaw youths would not be able to guarantee their safety, adding that no gunshots would be fired.
The national spokesman for the IYC, Ebilade Ekerefe, confirmed the incident but stated that Igbifa was missing and he would not describe his predicament as a kidnap.
He said, “Well, the IYC president is missing. That is what I can say. I can’t say he is kidnapped. He is missing.
“His two phone numbers are switched off. His last whereabouts that we knew was along the Omagwa-Port Harcourt International Airport Road. He was on his way to join us in Abuja for a meeting.
“The incident is unfortunate. We are not suspecting any quarters. The leadership of IYC will meet to review our strategy and come up with a position.”
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