Military begins search for Dariye’s father as police claims it is unaware of kidnap

The military on Sunday said it has launched a manhunt for Deswan Dariye, the 87-year-old father of a former Governor of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye, who was kidnapped by gunmen on Saturday.

This was just as the police hierarchy in the state on Sunday told The Eagle Online it was not yet aware of the kidnap of Pa Dariye.

Gunmen, numbering about nine reportedly stormed the home of Pa Dariye at Mushere in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

They shot sporadically to scare away those nearby before leaving with the elder Dariye.

Major General Dave Enetie, the Commander of the Special Task Force in charge of peace in Plateau State, who confirmed the incident, said his men were combing everywhere for clues.

Enetie said: “We have reached out to security agents in Nasarawa and other neighbouring states.

“We have also linked up with the Directorate of Security Services in Nasarawa and the search lights are everywhere, but we are yet to trace the kidnappers or the victim.”

But the spokesperson of the police in Plateau State, Abuh Emmanuel, in a telephone interview on Sunday, asked for more time to confirm the incident.

Emmanuel said he will contact the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area for details.

The kidnapping of Pa Dariye brings to three major kidnapping incidents in Plateau State.

The first was the kidnap of Michael Obi, father of Chelsea FC midfielder, John Obi Mikel, in 2012.

In January, gunmen also kidnapped a Lebanese, one Safi, an engineer handling the ongoing rehabilitation works on Gindiri Dam in Mangu Local Government Area.