By Felix Ekwu
One policeman and four suspected kidnappers died on Saturday in a gun scuffle as seven kidnappers were being conveyed to the Delta State Police Command Headquarters in Asaba.
A dependable source told NewsNet Nigeria that the seven suspected kidnappers were being conveyed from the Jesse in Ethiope West Local Government Area to Asaba by a team of four policemen.
However, when they got to a point between Ekuku Agbor and Ute Erumu in Ika North-East Local Government Area of the state, the kidnappers started scuffling for the rifle with one of the policemen.
It was during the scuffle that a policeman identified as the driver of the vehicle and four out of the seven kidnappers were hit by bullets and died.
The other three kidnappers escaped while according to our source the Police have launched a manhunt to re-arrest them.
Several catholic priests returning for a ceremony on Saturday almost drove into the scene of the incident
They were returning from the 15th priestly ordination anniversary celebration of one of their colleagues, Rev. Fr. John Konyeke at St. Felix Catholic Church, Ejeme-Aniogor in Aniocha South Local Government Area of Delta State.
Narrating the incident to NewsNet Nigeria, one of the priests who spoke on condition of anonymity said after the priestly ordination anniversary celebration he and other priests were returning to Asaba and other parts of Delta North in different vehicles and passed through Ekuku Agbor/Ute-Erumu/Ute-Ukpo route.
He said when they heard sporadic gunshots, he and his colleague priests had to immediately stop their cars and ran into the nearby bush.
The questions people are asking from the incident are whether the seven suspected kidnappers were properly restrained with handcuffs, whether the Police team had just a riffle to cover the suspected kidnappers as they were being conveyed and why there was no backup escort vehicle considering the numbers of the kidnappers?
