A search and rescue operation has begun after a daring ambush on the East-West Road in Eleme, Rivers State, led to a Toyota Hilux van carrying company workers, including a white man, plunged into the Okulu River on Monday night.
Sources say the convoy was attacked by armed hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers, prompting the driver to lose control of the vehicle, which skidded off the bridge and fell into the river.
Eyewitnesses suggested that the car and its occupant may still be submerged in the water.
In response to the incident, the Chairman of Eleme Local Government, Brain Gokpa, swiftly led a rescue team to the scene on Tuesday morning, calling in the navy and other rescue agencies to assist in retrieving the van and rescuing its occupants.
It was gathered that professional divers and marine police have been deployed to the scene to aid in the rescue efforts.
Despite the efforts of divers, neither the van nor its occupants had been recovered by 11 am on Tuesday.
The new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olugbenga Adepoju, who arrived at the scene around 11 am, commending Chief Gokpa for his prompt response to the incident.
CP Adepoju expressed gratitude to the council chair for prompt mobilization of security forces and rescue teams.
Gokpa, in turn, pledged his commitment to ensuring the security of lives and property in the area and promised to empower more personnel to aid in the rescue efforts and apprehend those responsible for the attack.
The bridges in the area have become increasingly vulnerable due to vandalism, with the removal of railings creating a hazardous environment.
Furthermore, mining activities and the construction of a new bridge by RCC as part of the reconstruction of the Eleme axis of the East-West Road have put additional pressure on the bridges.
This incident is not an isolated one, as there have been previous attempts to kidnap people on the bridge, with perpetrators using the river as an escape route.
The search and rescue operation is ongoing, with the authorities working tirelessly to retrieve the van and its occupants.
The incident has raised concerns about the safety of travelers on the East-West Road and the need for increased security measures to prevent such incidents in the future.