Tension gripped Rumuoro community in Ogbakiri, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday, September 11, 2025, after suspected ‘one chance’ robbers abducted a mother of two, Mrs Esther, while she was on her way to Choba. The assailants reportedly released her after receiving a total ransom of ₦309,000.
Family members in Rumuoro were thrown into confusion following news of her abduction and the demand for ransom by the gang.
Narrating her ordeal in an interview, Mrs Esther said,
“I went to market, as I wanted to come back, I was at Ozuoba junction, I was looking for a vehicle, I now saw a Keke bus with two women and two men inside. The Keke bus said Choba Choba, I now entered.
“As I entered the vehicle, as they drove a distance, they closed the door and brought out guns and pointed at me. One of the woman brought out clothe and covered my face, that if I shout they will kill me. They forced me to open my phone, they also collected all the money in my bag.
“They demanded one million naira, I was begging them. They said I should call who will send money to me or they will carry me go their centre and if they take me to their centre is five million I will pay.
“I called someone in the village and the person sent 103,000 naira including the POS person’s charge. Another person sent 206,000 naira to the POS account details they gave the person. After the two separate money was sent to them, they were still insisting I call more people to send money but I told them, I don’t know anybody again. I was pleading when one of them, asked where I hail from and I said Akwa Ibom. The woman who asked me is an Akwa Ibom woman, she pleaded with them to let me go. On getting to Choba, close to an eateries, they start driving slowly and asked me to jump down and I jumped down.”
The National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, confirmed that he was contacted by the victim’s family during the abduction. He said he advised them to alert the police, but an hour later, they informed him that Mrs Esther had been released.
Wiro urged residents of Rivers State to be vigilant when boarding commercial vehicles.
