An attempt by gunmen to kidnap Madam Nwokoya, a 73-year-old mother of a Personal Assistant to the Petroleum Minister, Diezani Allison-Madueke, was on Monday, foiled by the state security outfit, Operation Door-Akpor.
The special security outfit and the troops of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, were said to have engaged the gunmen in a gun duel.
Madam Nwokoya is said to be the mother of Innocent, a marine engineer working closely with the minister.
The Nation gathered that the security operatives and youths of Famgbe community, in Yenagoa local government council, where the incident occurred, apprehended one of the kidnappers.
Others were said to have escaped with gunshot wounds.
Gunshots were said to have unsettled the residents of the area as the gunmen and the operatives battled.
It was learnt that the gunmen stormed the woman’s residence at about 3am and went straight to her bedroom.
Unknown to them, their would-be victim did not sleep in her room that night.
The Youth Leader of the Community and Chairman of the State Information Management Committee, Spiro-Jack, was said to have sighted them and contacted security operatives.
“They were desperately searching each room in the house before the security operatives confronted them in a shootout,” a source who pleaded anonymity said.
Contacted on the development, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Mr.Alex Akhigbe, confirmed the incident.
He said: “It happened. Some gunmen had stormed the Famgbe community in an attempt to kidnap the Mother to the PA to the Minister of Petroleum resources.
“The police operating on a tip-off, laid ambush for the gunmen and engaged them in a gun battle. While one was arrested, others escaped with bullet wounds.”
