ANOTHER dimension has been introduced to the criminal act of hostage taking in Rivers State as a three-year-old son of a state lawmaker was abducted in Port Harcourt yesterday.
Sources told The Guardian that the child, Master St. Michael Steward, was seized from a private nursery school, at Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, in the early hours of the day.
The kidnapped child is the son of a new member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs. Linda Steward, representing Okrika Local Council.
Eye-witnesses said that three young men in their mid 20’s drove to the school in an ash coloured Mazda saloon car and proceeded to the child’s class and took him away.
One of the kidnappers wore a white shirt and a blue jeans trousers, while the two others that accompanied him wore coverall suspected to have been used to conceal their weapons in case they encountered any resistance.
It was learnt that the three men who were not resisted by anyone did not shoot during the incident.
After the abduction of the child, the kidnappers drove off towards the Iwofe area, which has remained a major exit to the creeks for hostage-takers.
Attempts by The Guardian to reach the lawmaker proved abortive as her phone was switched off. Another lawmaker who spoke to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, said Mrs. Steward acted that way because she was traumatised.
The Rivers State Police Command yesterday ordered a stop-and-search of all vehicles in Port Harcourt and its environs as it intensified investigation into the saga.
The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, who confirmed the abduction to The Guardian, said that the motive had not been ascertained.
He said: “For now, we don’t know the motive. There are two possible areas that the police are exploring. One, there might be a political opponent of hers who is trying to embarrass the woman and secondly, we are looking at those who take care of the child.”
Yesterday’s incident was the second child abduction from a private school in Port Harcourt in the last two months. The first child has since been released to the parents.