Swampy terrain thwarting access to Tulip school kidnappers — police

The police yesterday said that the swampy nature of the creek between Lagos and Ogun states has made it almost impossible for operatives to access the location of the kidnappers in the creeks.

A senior police officer said the police had identified the location of the kidnappers, but that accessibility was difficult. The officer said, “We know the exact location in the creek where the children and members of staff are kept but we cannot storm the place because the life of the children are in danger. There is no how the kidnappers will not see us coming and they may end up killing their victims. We need the assistance of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), the Nigerian Army, and the Nigerian Navy who we think have the wherewithal to penetrate the creek through the air and water.”

A second source maintained that the identities of the perpetrators of the act were well known to the police. He said, “We have met with families and relatives of some of the kidnappers who are currently speaking with them. We have gone to Ondo, Delta and Edo states to consult with their families. I think the families are cooperating and are assisting us in talking to them. But if this option fails, we will not have any other reason not to use our plan B, which we can’t disclose but will yield positive results.

He said a most troubling thing was that one of the students is a sickle cell anemia patient currently having crisis.

In a reaction, NAF Director of Public Relations (DOPRI), Group Captain Ayodele Famuyiwa, said the police seeking the assistance of the Air Force was not a problem.

“The police should go to the appropriate authorities and put their request forward to the Air Force. It’s not an issue,” he said.