Wife of APC chieftain seeks urgent intervention over husband’s abduction in Bayelsa

• Calls for immediate action by Police, Gov. Diri

By Amgbare Prince, Yenagoa

Mrs. Edith C. Thomas, wife of All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Comrade Charles Kurobo, has made an emotional appeal to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, for the swift rescue of her husband, who was allegedly abducted by armed men in Yenagoa.

Kurobo, a former aide to Governor Douye Diri and Chairman of the Niger Delta Ex-agitators’ Leadership Forum (Second Phase), was reportedly taken from their residence on Opolo Road near Saipen at approximately 12 a.m. on November 19, 2024.

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The assailants, dressed in police and Civil Defence uniforms, arrived in a convoy of 15 vehicles and forcibly removed him from the premises.

Speaking to journalists, a tearful Mrs. Thomas described the harrowing experience: “Around midnight, we were jolted from our sleep by gunshots and shouts demanding my husband come out. Fearing for our lives, he surrendered. From the shattered window, I saw armed men in police and civil defence uniforms. It looked like a full-scale invasion.”
Despite their immediate efforts to locate him, Mrs. Thomas stated that the Bayelsa State Police Command denied having her husband in custody, nor did the Department of State Security (DSS) acknowledge involvement in the operation.

“We have visited both the police and the DSS, but they claim to have no knowledge of his arrest. Our greatest fear is that he might be harmed,” she said, urging authorities to act swiftly.

“The Police and Governor Diri are our only hope. Please help us find him before it’s too late.”

Comrade Charles Kurobo is known for his vocal criticism of the management of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and the controversial pipeline surveillance contracts handled by Tantita Security Company, led by former militant leader High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo.

In response to Kurobo’s disappearance, the Niger Delta Conscientious Alliance (NDCA) has escalated the matter, petitioning President Bola Tinubu, the International Criminal Court (ICC), the United Nations Secretary-General, the European Union Parliament, and other international bodies.

The group highlighted ongoing concerns about human rights abuses and unlawful detentions in the Niger Delta region.

Mrs. Thomas concluded her appeal with a desperate plea for justice: “We need urgent intervention to locate my husband and ensure his safe return. We cannot continue to live in fear.”