she spoke to journalists who rushed to her residence
as news of her release by kidnappers filtered into
Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, yesterday
morning.
The state Police Commissioner, Mr Musa Kimo, was
probably her first visitor about 6:30 am when Sunday
Vanguard got there. It was clear she had just finished
sipping a cup of Lipton tea. The empty tea cup was
still on the table by her side.
Occasionally, she laughed as she tried to make light
her experience in the hands of the kidnappers.
"I was dumped in the middle of the creeks, leading to
nowhere around 10 pm on Friday. And they forced an
innocent fisherman to take me to Borokiri", she
recalled, laughing.
You could see desperation on the part of the
journalists to catch every word that came out of her
as she responded to their questions.
"I am very happy to say that I have been released. I
am alive, that is all that matters despite all the things
that were lost in the robbery that preceded the
abduction. I thank Vanguard Newspaper, my paper,
for the love and support that I received from my
colleagues and Uncle Sam Amuka, the publisher. He
was actually the first person called when I was
abducted", Kogbara said.
She paused. Then suddenly there was general
laughter as she recalled how much the kidnappers
put on her as ransom.
"I told them I was not worth what they demanded
for", she said.
According to her, before they whisked her away from
her Port Harcourt residence in the early hours of
August 30, the abductors first robbed the family of
cash and jewelries. Then, they blindfolded her and
took her straight to the creeks,
"Before we left the house, they took my money and
jewelries, though the money was not much", the
Vanguard columnist narrated.
"I was taken to the creeks, middle of nowhere. They
actually told me I was in Cameroon. But I have been
told that probably was not the case."
On the allegation in some quarters that her
abduction could have been politically motivated,
Kogbara said though the kidnappers expressed
political sentiments in the creeks, no revelation came
out of them. She added that they code named
politicians "official hoodlums".
"I don't see any politician behind the mask. I have to
tell you that these boys claimed they had helped
certain politicians win elections in the past but that is
not what we can discuss here. I don't know if you can
believe what they say.
"The political element was, em! They were a little bit
confused in my opinion, because they were upset
that former President Goodluck Jonathan had been
defeated by a northerner, but, on the other hand,
they were also very unhappy with Goodluck
(Jonathan) because they felt he had not done much
for the Niger Delta.
"I saw politics here and there. They had a grudge
against a former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi
Amaechi, for not supporting Goodluck Jonathan but
then they also had a grudge against the current
governor. Actually, in the end, they told me it was a
war against big men; to them, big men are
politicians. They called them official hoodlums".
Asked if the kidnappers were enlightened, she said
some were but most of them were not highly
educated.
Again, Kogbara laughed as she responded to a
question on how they fed her.
"Their meal, it was not bad. Considering that they
were young men, they cooked rather well. But the
conditions were not very sanitary", she said.
"Did they respect your medical condition in the
choice of meal?", a journalist shot back.
"To be fair to them, when I complained of not having
my blood level medication, they actually went out and
bought some for me. It was much more complex
than that."
On how she was abducted, Kogbara said it was a
story her mother, Mrs. Ann Kogbara, will be in a
better position to tell because she (Donu) was dazed
that morning when she suddenly saw strange men in
her room. "Honestly, I was so confused. I woke up in
my bedroom to see men. My mother can tell how
many they were. Because, honestly, I was in a daze.
They took me out, blindfolded me and off we went",
she said.
She had sweet words for the Rivers State Police
Command.
Her words: "There is hardly anybody I know who
does not know somebody who has been abducted or
robbed in the last couple of years. Fortunately, we
have a dynamic new Commissioner of Police who has
hit the ground running and seems absolutely
determined to confront this menace to our society".
Commissioner of Police Kimo was elated at Kogbara's
release.
"Today is a great day. I am extremely happy. My joy
knows no bounds because our sister, Donu Kogbara,
is back with us. It is due to the mercy of God. I thank
the President of the country, my Inspector General of
Police who kept calling to guide me. I thank the
media for their role, the family for their faith in God.
Finally, she is back with us, today is my greatest day. I
am very happy", he said.
Kogbara's mum celebrated her daughter's release
with tears of joy.
"Words cannot express what I feel. I cried while she
was away. I answered everything with tears", she told
Sunday Vanguard.
Kogbara was whisked away from her residence in the
early hours of Sunday, August 30 by armed young
men reportedly in police uniform.
Governor Nyesom Wike; Rivers Police Commissioner
Kimo; Chairman, Rivers State chapter of the Nigerian
Union of Journalists, Mr Ayo Tamuno were, among
several others, who condemned her abduction and
also appealed for her unconditional release.
Niger Delta activist, Ms Ankio Briggs, said the
abduction was painful.
"I am against activities that take away the right of
anybody which include kidnapping. Kidnapping is a
criminal act, it dehumanises a person no matter the
reason. Thank God she has been released", she told
Sunday Vanguard.
Chairperson, Ijaw Mothers Union, Doris Mcdaniels,
said she was deeply disturbed by the abduction,
expressing gratitude to God following the news of
her release.
"Ijaw mothers were very pained by the ugly
development. It is scary, sad. Before now, we thought
women were protected. We thank God for the good
news", Mcdaniels stated.
"Those behind this should leave women out of it. We
are not fit for the tension, trauma kidnapping
exposes people to. I don't pray anybody goes through
this, whether man or woman but they should please
leave women out of this because we are the weaker
vessel.
"It is worse when a woman is kidnapped because the
home is shut down entirely".
Chairman, Isoko South local government area, Delta
State, Mr Ikpokpo Itiako, who also appealed for
Kogbara's release, said he was happy when he saw it
on social media that she had regained her freedom.
"I have read Kogbara in Vanguard newspaper for
years . I was deeply touched by her abduction. I was
so happy this morning when I saw photos of her and
the Rivers State Commissioner of Police. It is good to
hear she had been released" , he said.
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