News
The family of a kidnapped retired director of the Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB), Mr. Emmanuel Ofobrukueta, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to urgently intervene and ensure his safe rescue from the den of his abductors.
In a letter to the IGP by their solicitor, Frank Tietie, of Forthright Chambers, the family expressed distress over Ofobrukueta’s prolonged captivity, stating that despite efforts by the Delta State Police Command, he remains in the hands of his kidnappers more than two months after his abduction.
Addressing reporters on behalf of the family in Abuja, Tietie worried that that victim seems to have been forgotten hence the need to beg the IGP to directly take interest in the matter.
According to the letter, Mr. Ofobrukueta, who retired six years ago, was seized by armed men on January 12, 2025, right in front of his residence in Mosogar, near Sapele in Delta State.
The abduction occurred a day before he was scheduled to travel to Asaba to process and collect his pension payments.
The family feared that a coordinated network of close associates, ransom handlers and the actual kidnappers might be deliberately prolonging his captivity.
Their concerns, according to them, stem from suspicious developments surrounding the ransom payment, which was reportedly made just two days after his abduction.
The family claimed intelligence from a private tracking company also points to the involvement of persons close to the victim.
“The Delta State Police Command appears to be overwhelmed by the kidnappers’ tactics in this case,” the letter stated, urging the IGP to take special action to unravel the abduction and secure Mr. Ofobrukueta’s release.
The family’s appeal was described as an “SOS call” in the letter, underscoring the urgency of the situation and the growing fear for the victim’s safety. They expressed hope that the Nigeria Police Force, under the leadership of the IGP, would intervene decisively to bring the ordeal to an end.
Tietie said the family is now counting on the direct intervention of the IGP to dismantle any criminal network responsible for the abduction and ensure justice is served.
“The case should be escalated and given the appropriate attention it requires. We think that he would be rescued if the police in Delta State deployed sufficient resources in terms of manpower and tracking his movements.
“Our frustration is that they seem to have abandoned the case. That is why we are appealing. The fact that ransome has been paid through someone when it was demanded this was an ample opportunity to bust the kidnap gang,” he said.
The lawyer said the victim does not deserve to be abandoned to his fate having served the country meritoriously.
He said the need to address the growing problem of kidnapping as he worried that when victims are not politically exposed persons or prominent in society, their cases do not often get expeditious treatment.