Rivers: Bolt driver submits self to Police over missing lady
Miss Elizabeth Edoukumor, the Girl declared missing after she was dropped off in her Aunty’s place at Harmony Estate, Eliozu,near Port Harcourt
Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
A Port Harcourt-based Bolt driver, Kelechi Uzor, has reported himself to the police over one Miss Elizabeth Edoukumor who has been missing since 9 October 2023.
Uzor had dropped off the missing lady at Harmony Estate in Obio-Akpor local government area of Rivers State on the same day she failed to return home.
However, the Bolt driver who reported himself at Okporo Police Station, Rumuodara, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers state in company of Prince Wiro, a human rights activist, denied culpability in the disappearance of the lady.
He said he decided to voluntarily report himself to the Police so that he could state what he knew about the lady who was declared missing hours after he dropped her at her destination.
This, he said, followed persistent calls and threats by family members of the missing Edoukumor.
In an interview, the Bolt driver said: “On that 9th of October Elizabeth Edoukumor booked a ride at Eastern bye-pass. I took her to Harmony Estate at Eliozu. When I got to the Estate, I parked because you cannot enter the Estate without authorization of someone inside.
“So when the lady got the permission to enter, I entered the Estate, parked at the residence she was going to while she offloaded her bags because she came with some goods. She paid me in cash and I drove off.
“When I entered the Estate, I was checked by the security guards. When I was leaving, I was also checked, they checked everything in my car, and they gave me permission to leave the Estate.
“Later that night, a lady called me and was asking whether I picked her (Elizabeth) up from the estate, I told the Lady what I did was to drop her at the Estate and leave the place. After that day, another man called asking me whether I heard anything – if she(Elizabeth) made any call that I could remember. I told him no, that I did not listen to her conversation, I was only taking her to the place she asked me to take her to.
“So the next day,some other people called me, trying to lure me to a certain area, they will call me and say I should come and pick them at so, so and so place .”I said no, I cannot come and pick you, you have to book Bolt first before I can pick you, I cannot just come and pick you.
“They have been calling. I now discovered that one of them is the supposed Uncle to the girl. After I refused to meet them, they are now telling me that I am the Bolt Driver who took Elizabeth to so and so place.I told them, yes, that I have explained to them, that I dropped the girl and left .
“So since then, I have been getting calls and threats, like the Uncle threatened me that I should better bring the girl alive, that this one is bad market. He was making other threats. I have not also received any call from the Police to come.
“I came to Police station to state my own side of the story, because the calls and threats are becoming too much. So I came to find out why the parents of the girl are threatening me. I have no hand in the disappearance of the girl. So I came to Police station to complain”.
In the meantime, a post on social media believed to have been made about the missing Elizabeth Edoukumor by her family indicated that she called her family members at about 6:31pm that she was leaving her Aunt’s place in Harmony Estate for home, but her line was later not reachable and went off afterwards.
The map sighted by our correspondent indicated that the Bolt Driver dropped Elizabeth inside Harmony Estate by 6:16pm.
In the meantime, Prince Wiro who led Uzor to the Police station has urged the parents of relatives of the missing girl to come to the Police station and report the case rather than asking the Bolt driver to meet them privately.
Wiro, who is also the National Coordinator of Centre for Basic Rights And Accountability Campaign said after the Bolt driver approached him on issue, he took him to the police station as a person of interest who can assist in unraveling behind the missing lady
Below is the post by the family of the missing lady on Facebook:
Missing person, kindly help us share and tag the necessary authorities.
“She left home on the 9th to Oct to go about her daily activities. She got a call from an Aunty at Eastern by-pass to go deliver meat at her Cousin’s place at Harmony Estate, Eloizu and that was her last known location. She called at 6:31 pm that she was about to leave for home but never got home. Her line was unreachable until it became switched off.
She was wearing a white jumpsuit that had a black polka Dots, she wears glasses and was on corn rows hair style with her normal hair
She was carrying her bag and all her I’Ds and a Phone
09041335533”
