BREAKING NEWS: Medical Doctor, Trader kidnapped in Calabar

A medical doctor and an Igbo trader have
been abducted in Calabar, the Cross River
State capital by suspected kidnappers.
One of the victims, Dr Itoro Asanga, a
medical doctor with University of Calabar
Teaching Hospital, UCTH, was kidnapped
at his residence while Chief Johnson
Obiokpo was picked up at his shop on Mt
Zion Street, both in Calabar South.
The dare devil gang was said to have
struck at the two locations between 8 and
10 pm on Wednesday. A witness, Thomas
Akpan, said the hoodlums who were five,
bought corns while waiting for their
target and even chatted with other people
who came to buy not knowing that the
‘visitors’ were up to some mischief.
At 8pm, Itoro returned and tried to park
at his No 12 Amika Utuk, off Goldie Street
when the kidnappers struck and whisked
him away.
Akpan said: “The kidnappers came
around 6pm and sat where one lady sells
roasted corn. Nobody knew they had a
devilish mission.
“So, when Doctor came back he tried to
park the ambulance and suddenly the
criminals moved in quickly and shot
sporadically into the air to scare residents
away. And within split seconds, they
dragged Itoro into the ambulance and
sped off still shooting.”
For Chief Thomas Akpan, another witness
Nfon Obong, said: “Around 7pm, four
hefty young men stormed the
supermarket and moved straight to
where the Chief stayed and ordered him
to go into their black tinted jeep parked
outside.”
“Chief Akpan quietly entered and they
drove off to an unknown destination and
till now they have not called to know
what next to do. As a result, people now
live in fear.”
Speaking on the incidents, the Police
Public Relations Officer, Irene Ugbo said
they were aware of the doctor’s kidnap
and working round to track down the
criminals.