From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Adepoju has ordered the immediate arrest of the gunmen responsible for the death of a foreign national, Mr. Gibson Reuben, which occurred along the Eleme section of East-West Road, Rivers State.
Reuben, an expatriate from the Netherlands, was involved in a Toyota Hilux that plunged into the Okulu River in Eleme on Monday evening, following an attack by suspected kidnappers.
Until his untimely death, Reuben was the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Rivers State Cassava Project Limited.
The state Police boss, Adepoju, issued the order for the culprits’ arrest during his visit to the scene of the incident on Tuesday.
The spokesperson for the Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, a Superintendent of Police (SP), disclosed that the incident occurred on Monday at about 20:30 hours at Aleto Eleme Bridge, where unknown gunmen ambushed Reuben’s vehicle, causing him to lose control and crash into the river.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Iringe-Koko, the Mobile Police personnel accompanying the deceased managed to escape.
She stated: “Fortunately, the Mobile Police personnel accompanying Reuben managed to escape, but he (Reuben) and the Hilux van are still submerged in the water.”
The Police spokesperson added that a search party, led by the Command’s Marine Unit, had since been constituted to rescue the expatriate, who was also the driver of the Hilux van.
Iringe-Koko added that the search party’s efforts resulted in the recovery of the lifeless body of the expatriate, Mr. Reuben, and the white Toyota Hilux van.
She said: “The recovery of the body and vehicle brings a somber end to the rescue efforts.”
Adepoju was accompanied by the Area Commander of Eleme, Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) within the Eleme Area Command, and tactical teams of the Command, who were already at the scene.
“The CP, at the scene, strongly condemned the attack as ‘very barbaric’ and has ordered a full-scale investigation with the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the reprehensible act, vowing to bring them to justice.”
He appealed to members of the public to provide credible information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing perpetrators of the act.