Authorities say four senior officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen while another was shot on Wednesday evening in River State.
It was gathered that the incident took place in Abua-Odual Local Government Area (LGA) of State, while the officers were on official duties.
The officers were in the state to conduct an enumeration exercise to determine the number of farmers who were either affected flood or conflicts to benefit from the National Emergency Agricultural Intervention Fund.
The fund which is under the National Food Security Program of the Federal Government is to cover 18 states of the federation.
Those abducted include a woman and three men who had successfully completed the enumeration exercise they were carrying out in some parts of Rivers State.
Security sources said that the officers were returning from the assignment when the unexpected incident occurred.
“I can authoritatively tell you that four emergency workers with NEMA are presently in captivity. They were kidnapped at Abua Odua near Ahoada in Rivers State yesterday in evening after an undertaken official assignment,” the source said.
He added that “However, one of the NEMA staff who was shot in the leg escaped being kidnapped alongside his colleagues, after he pretended to be dead. He has been admitted at an undisclosed health centre for medical attention.
“The abducted officers travelled in a NEMA Hilux van, which was not in good condition and even broke down several times on their way. It was a personal car of one of the NEMA staff that came to their rescue to continue the journey before the incident.
“They were neither paid the travelling allowances nor provided with adequate security or accommodation before they were mandated by NEMA management in Abuja to travel on that emergency assignment. But thank God, they have friends and relations in the states they were deployed to. So, they temporarily stayed and lodge themselves with their relations and friends.”
When contacted, the state police spokesperson, Omoni Nnamdi said that he was yet to be officially briefed on the incident.
