ASABA: Tension has gripped Bomadi Local Government Area of Delta State following the abduction of a senior army officer, identified simply as Lt Colonel Josiah, who was kidnapped from his lodge shortly after attending a wedding ceremony.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Bomadi, headquarters of the council area, has triggered heavy patrols by soldiers of the Joint Task Force JTF across the riverside town and surrounding communities.
It was gathered that the officer had attended a marriage ceremony at Kpakiama, a neighbouring community, before returning to his lodge in Bomadi. Around 2:00 a.m., heavily armed kidnappers stormed the lodge, ransacked rooms, dispossessed lodgers of their phones, and whisked away the officer.
A source who witnessed the attack said the assailants shot sporadically before escaping with their victim. “They came around 2 a.m., searched every room, took phones, and dragged the army officer outside. They fired a shot before leaving in their vehicle. After they left, we saw bloodstains on the ground,” the source disclosed.
It was further learnt that the getaway vehicle used in the operation was later abandoned in Tuomo community, along the Tuomo–Ogbobagbene–Tamigbe–Torugbene–Ojobo road, before being recovered by soldiers and taken to their base at Bomadi-Overside.
Meanwhile, anxiety has spread across Bomadi and its environs, with residents expressing fear of possible clampdowns or reprisals as security operatives intensify their search for the abductors.
