Posted by By FEMI FOLARANMI, Yenagoa on
Suspected hoodlums struck again in Yenagoa in the early hours of Tuesday kidnapping the 75-year-old mother of Hon Amalanyo Yousou, lawmaker representing Brass Constituency II in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
Suspected hoodlums struck again in Yenagoa in the early hours of Tuesday kidnapping the 75-year-old mother of Hon Amalanyo Yousou, lawmaker representing Brass Constituency II in the Bayelsa State House of Assembly.
Madam Laura Canus was said to have been kidnapped by unidentified hefty men, who stormed her residence in the village, Akassa, in the Brass Local Government area at about 3.00a.m. The abductors shot sporadically into the air and whisked her away to an unknown destination.
Coincidentally, as Madam Canus was being kidnapped, the captors of Daniel Benjamin, the 11-year-old son of the deputy-chief whip of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mrs. Ruby Benjamin, were concluding plans to release him to his parents .
When Daily Sun visited the residence of Yousou on Nikton Road, Kpansia at about 7.30a.m. political associates and a crowd of sympathizers were there.
Yousou, looking calm and sporting an Arsenal FC T-shirt over a pair of blue jeans, with black slippers, confirmed the story, but said he was awaiting someone from the village to give him details of how his mother was kidnapped.
'Yes I was called this morning and informed that my mother was kidnapped in the village around 3.00a.m. by unknown men. That is all I can confirm to you as I am waiting for someone from the village to come and give me details," he said.
Yousou, however, said he had no problems with anyone or any group that would prompt the abduction of his mother.
While the Yousous are worried, there was joy at the residence of the Benjamins, at Yenezue Epie, as their son, kidnapped six days ago, was released around 2.00a.m.
Narrating his ordeal in the den of the kidnappers, Daniel disclosed that on the day he was kidnapped their dog was given a substance which looked like meat and thereby drugged.
He said his captors, who blindfolded him till they got to their camp, complained that his mother was not carrying them along. He said he was not molested and was fed with rice, bread and pepper soup throughout his stay.
It was gathered that when the boy was hinted that he would be released, he was kept in a rice sack, blindfolded and taken to Yenagoa where he was dropped few metres to his house, while his parents were called to come and pick him up.
Daily Sun investigations revealed that the parents had to part with an undisclosed ransom before Daniel regained his freedom.
Daniel's father, Pastor Benjamin, said the issue of ransom was immaterial since he had got his son back safely.
' The money they get from this won't do them any good. The matter of ransom is not the issue now. What I can say is that they took my son away and he was returned safely," he added.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ininbong Ibokette, who confirmed the two incidents, said the police had waded into the kidnap of Madam Canus.
He, however, appealed to Bayelsa indigenes and residents not to panic as the command was up to task of protecting life and property in the state.
He said the command had zero tolerance for hoodlums masquerading as freedom fighters and warned that anybody caught, no matter how highly placed, would escape the full wrath of the law.