From: TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt

Gunmen have kidnapped two members of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Rivers State Chapter,  Ibim Opusunju and Carol Tolofari.

The victims were abducted around Isiokpo, in Ikwerre Local Government Area of the state at about 5:30p.m on Sunday night,  by armed men,  while returning to Port Harcourt from Abuja  where they had gone for national executive meeting of the union.

Daily Sun gathered that Opusunju and Tolofari, JUSUN’s Vice Chairman and Secretary in the state, respectively, were abducted when the bus they boarded  was hijacked by the bandits.

Sources from the state’s Judiciary,  who confirmed the incident disclosed that the commercial vehicle was later released by the hoodlums,  while their two colleagues were whisked away.

Also confirming the abduction of Opusunju and Tolofari, Chairman of JUSUN in the state, George Sokari,  has called for unconditional release of the two comrades.

According to the Sokari, the union was yet to establish contact with the kidnappers, adding that they got to know about the abduction the company that owns the bus the victims boarded.

He said: “We are yet to get contact from anywhere or any information of their whereabouts. The company that owns the vehicle that they boarded informed us that the comrades were kidnapped. They confirmed to us that one of their buses was hijacked and later released, but that some people were taken away from the bus.

“When we went through their manifest which was written before the vehicle left Abuja, we discovered that the two of our members were there. The police are aware and they are also doing their best.”

Meanwhile, the State Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Nnamdi Omoni, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), has confirmed the development to journalists, saying that  Police had intensified efforts to ensure that the victims were freed unconditionally and unhurt.