IT was not in her wildest imagination that one day, she would put to birth in the bush. And in the hands of hoodlums for that matter.
Even when she was whisked away from her home last week, Mrs. Stanley Oforegbu, a resident of Igbudu, Delta State thought that her captors would free her because of her condition. Alas! she was wrong. A day soon turned to three for her in the kidnappers’ den. After a week, the worst happened: she allegedly gave birth inside the bush without any medical assistance. Prior to her seizure, the gunmen reportedly attempted several times to abduct her husband but failed.
At last, they settled for his pregnant wife. Last week, they struck in their home and without any resistance took her away in a waiting vehicle.
Her embattled husband, Mr. Stanley Oforegbu, an assistant personnel manager with an oil firm, Globstar Nigeria Limited, got a shocker when the kidnappers broke the news of his wife’s delivery to him.
Sources close to the family told The Guardian that every now and then, the gunmen would call Oforegbu demanding for N1 million ransom.
The woman was almost due for delivery when the hoodlums stormed their home and took her away to an unknown place. It was learnt that some hoodlums in commando style forced the woman into a waiting car and sped off.
At the time of filing this report yesterday evening, Oforegbu still did not know where his wife was kept. The Guardian learnt that the captors who demanded ransom before her release, called Oforegbu to inform him that she had delivered a baby, which sex they refused to disclose.
The hoodlums believed to be from the firm’s host community (Igbudu) were reportedly unhappy with Oforegbu for filling two vacant offshore job slots with his kinsmen instead of indigenes of the area.
The firm has been having running battles with its host community over the employment of qualified workforce, it was learnt.
“They wanted to punish Oforegbu severely for his actions by kidnapping his pregnant wife. They had tried to kidnap Oforegbu in the past but they could not, so they opted for his wife an easier target,” a very reliable source said.
The Personnel Manager of Globstar and Oforegbu’s immediate boss, Mr. Chris Ozegbe refused to comment on the matter when contacted yesterday on phone but he confirmed the kidnap of the woman.
Ozegbe said the company’s policy does not allow staff to make comment on such an incident.
He said: “Our company policy does not allow us to discuss such issues in the public. The fact is that we have not accused any community of being behind the kidnap. Our worker, whose wife was kidnapped, did not accuse any community at all. He does not know those behind the kidnap of his wife. So, I cannot say anything more than that.”
Asked about the condition of the mother and her child, Ozegbe said: “The man, whose wife was kidnapped is on leave, so until he returns to duty we cannot know the condition of his wife and baby or where they are.”
The company’s management, it was learnt had kept sealed lips on the incident and failed to inform security agencies in Warri, in order to avoid the adverse publicity the incident would attract. They instead advised Oforegbu to lie low on the matter.
Oforegbu, The Guardian learnt, receives phone calls from the captors daily demanding for N1 million before his wife would be released. But the man is said to be worried about the health of his wife and the new baby.
When contacted yesterday, a senior police officer at the Warri Area command, said the matter had not been reported to them.