A Hilux Van bearing one expatriate and one Nigerian employee of a company has plunged into the Okulu River in Rivers State.
The Rivers State Police Command later identified the expatriate who drowned at Aleto River on Monday night, Jan. 13, as Mr Gibson Reuben.
Reuben, a Dutch and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Cassava Project Limited, drowned when his vehicle fell off the Aleto bridge, while trying to escape from suspected kidnappers.
Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, visited the scene.
The incident happened while the driver was reportedly trying to escape from kidnappers who targeted the van along the Eleme section of the East-West Road.
The vehicle lost control after the suspected kidnappers attempted to stop it.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle and its occupants were still trapped in the River on Tuesday afternoon, as frantic efforts were made to rescue them.
Spokesperson of the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said efforts were in place to arrest those behind the incident.
The statement read in part: “CP Olugbenga Adepoju was accompanied by the Area Commander Eleme, DPOs within the Eleme Area Command and tactical teams of the command already at the scenes.
“The CP at the scene strongly condemned the attack as “very barbaric” and has ordered a full-scale investigation with the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the reprehensible act, vowing to bring them to justice.
“This incident is a disturbing situation and the Police Commissioner’s swift response is a welcome step towards addressing these concerns. He is calling on the good people of Rivers State to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing perpetrators of this act.”
Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area of the State, Hon. Brain Gokpa, mobilised a rescue team to the scene on Tuesday,
Gokpa who confirmed the incident called on the operatives of the Nigerian Navy and rescue agencies to assist in retrieving the van and rescuing its occupants.
It was gathered that professional divers and marine police have also been deployed to the scene to boost the rescue efforts.
Gokpa, in turn, pledged his commitment to ensuring the security of lives and property in the area and promised to empower more personnel to aid in the rescue efforts and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
