Korean owners of the Hyndai Heavy Industries paid
N30m to the kidnappers of four of their workers at the company in Okpoama,
Brass Local Government, Bayelsa State, it has been confirmed.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Kingsley
Omire, confirmed in Yenagoa on Thursday that the firm paid the ransom to the
kidnappers but without consulting the police.
The CP said after arresting the suspects linked to
the incident, the police discovered that the firm had bowed to pressure from
the hoodlums and parted with N30m.
He said the police initially arrested Romeo Egbo,
Goodnews Amabebe, Dito Ologbo and Digiteme Itua a.k.a Seko in connection with
the crime.
Omire said, “On interrogation three of the suspects
voluntarily confessed to kidnapping the four Koreans and two Nigerians on
December 17. They also disclosed to us that one Digiteme Itua alias Seko is the
leader of the kidnap gang.
“Itua was arrested in his Odioma house in Brass at
about 1.30am. One AK 47 rifle,60 rounds of ammunition, a telescope and three
magazines were recovered from his house.”
He, however, said Itua and Egbo tricked the police
and escaped.
He also said the suspects escaped after telling the
police that they had concealed four AK47 rifles and several rounds of
ammunition at Ogboinbiri in Southern Ijaw Local Government.
Omire also said the leader of the gang that
kidnapped the Paramount Ruler of Okordia clan, Yenagoa Local Government, King
Seiba Simeon, on August 25 had been arrested.
Eight gunmen on December 17, 2012 raided the firm
and kidnapped Jong Ken, Hi Kim, Doo Lee, Joon Chae and a Nigerian, Austin Giwa.
The victims were, however, released four days later
at Azikoro Village in Yenagoa with the management of the company claiming that
no ransom was paid for their release.
It was learnt that the company paid some money to
secure the release of the victims, who spent about five days in the kidnappers’
den.
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