Posted by This Day Online on
Thirteen-year-old Echemadu Eke, son of His Royal Highness Eze Gbakagbaka of Evo Kingdom, Dr Frank Eke kidnapped on Tuesday while on his way to school has been released.
Thirteen-year-old Echemadu Eke, son of His Royal Highness Eze Gbakagbaka of Evo Kingdom, Dr Frank Eke kidnapped on Tuesday while on his way to school has been released.
This happened just as daring robbers in Rivers State early yesterday shot and killed a seven month old baby simply described as Godsgift Dima, at Ogoloma, Okrika Local Government area of the state when they raided the home of his parents.
Sources said the robbers stormed the home on okada in the wee hours of the day and asked parents of the toddler for money in what appeared like a targeted attack.
Parents of the boy said they did not have money and when the robbers' persuasion did not make any impression on them, they dshot the three of them, but the boy died instantly.
A source from Ogoloma who expressed fears that the Dimas might have been targeted for undisclosed reason,wondered why only their house was raided by the hoodlum at the Ogoloma waterfront.
However, when THISDAY called the Commissioner of Police, Mr Felix Ogbaudu to confirm the story, he said it was the bullet fired at the parents of the boy that deflected and killed him .
"All I was able to gather is that the robbers enteredDima's house in the middle of the night, demanded for money and when he failed to give, they shot the three of them, including their baby. Unfortunately, it was this innocent baby that died," he said.
the source said. Security sources said that the captors of Master Ekehad contacted the monarch who told them to kill theboy if they liked as he does not have any money togive to them even when they allegedly asked him to payany amount he listed.After trying without success to extract any sum fromthe royal father, the captors of the boy said to be astudent of Bereton Secondary school, Mgbueshilari inPort Harcourt was dropped by his captors at the everbusy Garrison junction.
The release which was handled by the State SecurityServices (SSS) was said to be the most straightforwardand the first case of the father of the kidnappedinsisting that he was not going to pay any ransom.An SSS source who was in the team that secured theboy's release told THISDAY 'This is the first time weare getting this level of cooperation from a father orrelative of any kidnapped person. The Chief was wonderful, he absolutely refused to give any money andnow the boy has been released".
The boy who has been handed over to his parents wasstopped from speaking when we tried to get him tonarrate his ordeal in the hands of his captors.He was taken on his way to school as he is said beusing public transport to go and return from schoolwhere he attends from the village.When at the time he was supposed to return from schoolhe was not seen, the mother did not worry since shethought that he had gone to be with his father in thepalace.
It was when the next morning, nothing washeard from him that the family raised alarm and thesearch for him started.