Panic gripped residents of Rumuoro community in Ogbakiri, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Thursday, September 11, 2025, following the abduction of a mother of two, Mrs. Esther, by suspected “one chance” robbers along the Ozuoba–Choba axis of the state.

The victim, a patent medicine dealer popularly known as a chemist in her community, was reportedly waylaid while returning from the market and forced into a commercial tricycle (Keke bus) operated by the suspected kidnappers. She was later released after the criminals collected a ransom of ₦309,000 paid in two tranches.

Narrating her ordeal in an interview, Mrs. Esther recounted how she innocently boarded the tricycle, which already had two men and two women posing as passengers.

“I was at Ozuoba junction looking for a vehicle back to Choba when I saw a Keke bus. There were already two women and two men inside, and the driver was calling ‘Choba, Choba,’ so I entered. Not long after we moved, they locked the door and brought out guns. One of the women covered my face with a cloth and warned me not to shout or I would be killed. They collected all the money in my bag and demanded one million naira,” she said.

According to her, the kidnappers forced her to unlock her phone and insisted she call relatives to send money or risk being taken to their “camp,” where she would allegedly be made to pay as much as ₦5 million.

In her words: “I begged them, explaining I could not raise such money. I first called someone in the village, who sent ₦103,000 through a POS account they provided. Later, another person sent ₦206,000 to the same account. Even after receiving the money, they kept pressuring me to call more people. I told them I had no one else to call. One of the women, who turned out to be from Akwa Ibom like me, pleaded with the others to let me go. Eventually, they dropped me near an eatery in Choba and told me to jump down, which I did.”

Confirming the incident, the National Coordinator of the Centre for Basic Rights Protection and Accountability Campaign, Prince Wiro, said the victim’s family had contacted him while she was still in captivity.

“I advised them to inform the police immediately. An hour later, the family called back to say she had been released,” Wiro told journalists.

He urged residents of Rivers State to exercise greater caution when boarding commercial vehicles, stressing the importance of noting down registration numbers and sharing them with loved ones before embarking on trips.

Wiro also called on the Police to intensify stop-and-search operations in known flashpoints for “one chance” activities across the state. He further advised that Mrs. Esther, who is visibly traumatized by the ordeal, should make a formal report at the police division in charge of the area where the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, residents of Rumuoro have continued to express shock over the incident, describing it as another reminder of the growing insecurity faced by commuters in Rivers State. Community leaders have also appealed for increased security patrols along the Ozuoba–Choba route, which has become notorious for such criminal activities.