A Hilux Van carrying two company workers, including an expatriate, has plunged into the Okulu river in Rivers State.
The incident occurred while the driver was reportedly trying to escape from kidnappers who targeted the van along the Eleme section of the East-West Road.
Eyewitnesses said the vehicle lost control after the suspected kidnappers attempted to stop it.
The vehicle and its occupants were still trapped in the river on Tuesday afternoon, despite frantic efforts to rescue them. The Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area of the State, Hon. Brain Gokpa, had mobilized a rescue team to the scene on Tuesday.
Gokpa confirmed the incident and called on the operatives of the Nigerian Navy and rescue agencies to assist in retrieving the van and rescuing its occupants. Professional divers and marine police were deployed to the scene to assist in the rescue efforts.
The Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Adepoju, visited the scene, lauding the rescue workers. 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.
Kidnapping and related crimes, along with road crashes, have been frequent occurrences along this road due to its deplorable state.
The spokesperson for the state Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, stated that efforts were in place to arrest those behind the incident.
