By AUGUSTINE KINNA
A vehicle belonging to the United Nations Office based in Arawa was stolen by armed criminals in Buin on Monday.
The incident occurred at 7.30am on Monday at the Wisai junction when a team of UN officials and its partners were travelling to Wisai to open the Peace Fair programme there.
It was reported that the UN mission had six passengers travelling in the vehicle when they were ambushed by 15 men fully armed with M16s, SLRs, axes and knives.
The UN mission team included UN Central region project coordinator Justin Borgia and Patrick Boni and four other partners, who were engaged in the Peace Fair Programme.
Mr Borgia said they were taken by surprise when the armed men jumped out from the bushes and fired into the air demanding the team to get out off the vehicle.
He said they were also assaulted by the gunmen.
“There was nothing we could do but to comply with the instructions given to us by the criminals,” Mr Borgia said.
He said they were held in captive for an hour and were told that they had entered the No-Go Zone area.
The criminals took possession of the vehicle and all of its accessories including a satellite phone.
Arawa police station commander Sgt Herman Birangka said police were working around the clock to negotiate the release of the vehicle.
He said police, chiefs and ex-combatants in Arawa held a meeting yesterday and had sent a party to negotiate the return of the vehicle and the criminals.