Tension rises in Delta community after LG chairman’s abduction

Tension has escalated across Sapele and its environs following the abduction of the Chairman of Sapele Local Government Area, Bright Abeke.

The council boss was reportedly kidnapped around 7 p.m. on Friday when heavily armed gunmen invaded a hotel along Owumi Road in a bold operation that caused widespread panic.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers, said to be about 15 in number, arrived in a Range Rover SUV and two other vehicles. They reportedly fired gunshots indiscriminately to disperse residents and guests before seizing the chairman and taking him away.

Residents expressed fear and uncertainty after news of the incident spread throughout the community.

Sources said the assailants moved directly to their target upon arrival and forcibly took him to an unknown location.

It was also gathered that a member of a local vigilante group, identified as Ufuoma, sustained gunshot injuries during the attack.

He was reportedly rushed to a nearby hospital, although his condition had not been confirmed as of the time of filing this report.

Following the incident, political associates—mainly members of the All Progressives Congress, to which the chairman belongs—have been visiting the hotel and surrounding areas to obtain firsthand information and show concern.

As of press time, the whereabouts of the abducted chairman remained unknown, while residents and political allies continued to urge security agencies to act swiftly to secure his release.

Meanwhile, security personnel have sealed off major entry and exit routes in Sapele as efforts intensify to rescue the council chairman.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Delta State Command, SP Bright Edafe, said the command had launched operations to ensure the chairman’s safe rescue.
In a WhatsApp message, he stated: “Confirmed.

The Commissioner of Police has directed the command’s special anti-kidnapping unit to deploy all necessary resources to ensure the victim is rescued unharmed and the perpetrators are apprehended.”