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Abducted Edo lecturer’s whereabouts still unknown

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu, Benin City
14 July 2015   |   11:00 pm
ANXIETY has continued to mount in Igbanke, Orhionmown Local Council and the university community of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma as, one month after Dr Paul Erie, an associate professor who is a palace chief and lecturer in the university was abducted in his house, his whereabouts still remain unknown. The traditional ruler of the…

ANXIETY has continued to mount in Igbanke, Orhionmown Local Council and the university community of Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma as, one month after Dr Paul Erie, an associate professor who is a palace chief and lecturer in the university was abducted in his house, his whereabouts still remain unknown.

The traditional ruler of the community, Onojie of Omolua, His Royal Highness, Dr Isaac Uwaifo, told The Guardian on Monday that the community is still at a loss as to what is happening to their son. “We have not heard from them, they said they spoke this wife once and after that, they have not sent any message either written or oral, our people are worried.”

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch of the university had last week staged a peaceful protest in Ekpoma, suspending lectures and examinations in protest over the kidnap of their colleague.

Meanwhile, the wife of the Bishop of Akoko-Edo Diocese, Mrs Victoria Oyekpen, who is a magistrate in Jattu, Etsako West Local Council of Edo State, was on Saturday evening reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen along the Igarra-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Council of the state.

She was, however, released on Sunday afternoon by her abductors in very unclear circumstances, as none of the family members was ready to speak on the matter.

It was gathered that Oyekpen had arrived from Asaba on the said day for a church engagement in company of the wife of the late Archbishop of Bendel Province of the Anglican Church, Dame Mabel Agbaje and others and, as was said to be her practice, she drove with Agbaje to her place in Ibillo, about 20 minutes from Igarra.

On their way back, they were said to have been accosted by gunmen in a bad spot between Ogugu and Aiyegunle where the gunmen were reported to have ransacked the vehicle and, apparently not satisfied with what they could find in the vehicle, went into the bush with Oyekpen, allowing her driver to go back with vehicle.

There was anxiety among family members and congregation of St James (The Cathedral) Church Igarra on Sunday where prayers were fervently said for her release and she was later said to have called her family that she had been released and was back in town.

Several calls to her husband, Bishop Jolly Oyekpen, were not returned but the church members immediately organised a carnival round the town when they heard their “mother” had been released.

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