•Okulu River
Tragedy struck last night along the Eleme axis of the East-West Road when a vehicle attempting to flee from suspected armed kidnappers plunged into the Okulu River.
Reports indicated that the driver of a Toyota Hilux van, carrying an expatriate and other workers from an undisclosed company, lost control of the vehicle, reports The Nation.
It skidded off the Eleme Bridge and fell into the river.
Sources said that the vehicle and its occupants could still be submerged in the water, with government and security personnel working urgently to locate them.
This morning, the Chairman of Eleme Local Government Area, Brain Gokpa, led a rescue team to the scene.
He has reportedly contacted the navy and other rescue agencies to aid in retrieving the van and its occupants.
Professional divers and marine police have been deployed to assist in the ongoing operation.
“But neither the car nor its occupants had been found, the efforts of divers as at 11am on Tuesday”, said a local source, who spoke in confidence.
The new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olugbenga Adepoju, reportedly arrived the scene and commended Gokpa for his immediate response.
Gokpa promised to empower more personnel to aid in the rescue efforts and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
It was gathered that the bridges in the area had become vulnerable following the activities of vandals, who removed their railings.
Locals also reported previous attempts by armed hoodlums to kidnap unsuspecting victims on the bridge using the river as an escape route.
