“Owerri police saved me from kidnappers”

By Patrick Isip

I want to use this medium to commend Nigeria Police for the help they rendered to me at Owerri, Imo State, last month, when I travelled  to Port Harcourt. The story goes like this. I boarded a bus which claimed to be heading for Port Harcourt via Aba at Oshodi in Lagos. But when we got to Owerri, a long way away from our destination, the driver ordered all the pasengers to alight from his bus and proceed to their various destination on their own.

I  was livid, and I challenged him that he either had to refund part of the fare I  paid or drive me to Port Harcourt, my destination. Angered by my effrontery, the driver bundled me into his bus, locked up the bus and drove me to an unknown destination. As he drove recklessly along, he threatened to beat me mercilessly and rob me of my luggage and other belongings.

But as fate would have it, we ran into a police van on our way. I quickly opened the window glasses of the bus and began to shout in the direction of the police officers that I had been kidnapped. The police understood my cries and quickly jumped into their van and went in pursuit of our bus. Before long, they caught up with us, and rescued me from the bus. They also compelled the bus driver to refund a part of my fare to enable me to proceed to Port Harcourt.

The police officers then drove me like a king to the nearby motor park where I caught a bus and continued with my journey to Port Harcourt.