Enekorogha: We’re ready to come back if Karowei is arrested ―Released Britons

IN spite of the gruesome murder of their colleague, Dr Ian Squire, Dr David Donovan and other missionary Britons, who were released from the hands of their kidnappers, on November 6, are set to return to Enekorogha community in Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State to continue the good work they started.

Information exclusively gathered by Sunday Tribune on Saturday revealed that Dr Donovan, his wife, and Alanna Carson among others are poised to return to continue their medical outreach under the New Foundations Clinic if the mastermind of the kidnap saga, Karowei Pere Gbakumor and his gang, are brought to book.

This, they said, was necessary to guarantee the safety of lives and property of people of the community as well as themselves.

“Dr Donovan and others are ready to come back, but for the helplessness and insecurity in the community.

“They said they’re coming back because of the suffering of people of the community.

“They even appealed if the N2 million placed on the head of Karowei for his arrest is removed; if that will make him rescind his threats of attack on the community,” a community leader, who communicated with one of the Britons recently, disclosed to Nigerian Tribune.

The reliable source further added that “their (Britons) concern is for the community. They had made friends. They’ll come back. They said once Karowei is arrested and the tension subsides, they’ll come back. Dr Donovan said so.”

Karowei, who is believed to be hiding in the creeks of Burutu, is said to have also threatened to snuff the life out of the man who usually heads the New Foundations Clinic when the Britons are not on ground.

The offense of the man, whose name could not be ascertained as of press time, was that he led security agents to arrest Willie, one of the arrested boys of Karowei who’s now in the custody of the police.

Nigerian Tribune, however, gathered that the clinic is still under lock and key for fear of reprisal attacks by Karowei and his gang, just as youths of the community have remained vigilant to ward off any aggression.

Late Dr Squire and his colleagues had, early October before their kidnap, mobilized and penciled in 100 patients from Enekorogha and neighboring communities for eye surgeries come February 2018 when they’ll return from holiday.

But a twist of fate led to their midnight kidnap on the eve of the day they were to return to Britain and since then their medical kits and personal belongings are still lying idle in the clinic and their quarters.

Speaking with the chairman of the community, Prince Michael Ogobiri, he called on the security agencies, especially the Operation Delta Safe (OPDS) to involve youths of the area to effect the arrest of Karowei if safety must return to the area early enough.

He also urged the OPDS to quiz people fishing and doing other works at Otegbene and Okediagbene, saying they could provide it with useful information on the movements of Karowei and other members of his militant group.

According to him, Karowei is still surviving in the deep creeks because he’s able to access victuals through neighboring communities such as Otegbene and Okediagbene communities.

“If they (OPDS) really mean business and want to arrest Karowei, they should quiz people fishing at Otegbene and Okediagbene because he’s surely getting food and supplies from some of them.

“Karowei has been living in that creek for long and we allowed it, but today, all of us are living in fear, regretting it.

“The community boys can follow the JTF to smoke him out of his den. I discussed it with the JTF commander the last time he came here, that if they allowed us to follow them into the creeks, something positive will happen.

“We need to arrest Karowei for the persisting fear in the community to subside. We can’t go after him on our own because we may be mistaken for militants by the JTF. We want them to remove Karowei from here,” Ogobiri pleaded.

Attempts made to speak with the OPDS spokesperson, Major Ibrahim Abdulahi, Commissioner of Police, Delta State, Mr Ibrahim Zanna and the Commander, Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Delta, Commodore Ibrahim Dewu, on efforts made so far to arrest Karowei, were not successful.