Twenty-one-year-old Rorhema Dookie, who was kidnapped on Wednesday night, was last evening reunited with her family after she was pulled out of a house in the city by a woman who thought she may have been the girlfriend of one of her kidnappers.
Dookie, the daughter of popular Pike Street businessman Beharry ‘Natoo’ Dookie, was abducted by three gunmen and last night her father said while a ransom was demanded none was paid. The young woman had just exited classes from a school on Thomas Street, North Cummingsburg to meet her waiting boyfriend, Joel Oudkerk, when the kidnappers struck, hitting the young man twice in his head before abducting her.
It was a joyous scene when Stabroek News visited the Pike Street home last evening minutes after Rorhema and her father arrived at around 9 pm.
“She is safe, she is good, she went to the hospital and everything alright,” an obviously happy Dookie announced to all the anxious well-wishers who were gathered at the house.
While Rorhema was surrounded by a number of women who hugged and kissed her, Dookie headed straight to his bar and opened a bottle of Absolute Vodka and poured drinks for his friends. There were smiles and backslapping all around as every one celebrated a happy ending to the abduction.
Reunited: Rorhema Dookie and her father `Natoo’ last night. (Photo by Oluatoyin Alleyne)
The young woman was then taken upstairs and it was a refreshed, smiling and sometimes laughing Rorhema who returned downstairs to the shop to speak to reporters.
She recounted that she had just left her classes and approached her boyfriend when a vehicle pulled up and some men approached them, hit her boyfriend and one of them grabbed her. Asked how many men were there, Rorhema said she was not sure but she thought it was three.
“I think it was three of them, I know two of them were sitting on the back seat where they put me to lie down and one was driving,” she said. One of them was armed with a “small silver gun.” She said the men had “jerseys” over their faces and they placed a cloth over her face and as such she could not say which part of the city they took her.
‘Many turns’
“I don’t know where they took me but what I know it had many turns and then we arrived and they took me into a building…:
Rorhema said she was then placed in a room with a mattress on the floor and there was also garbage on the floor. She was not tied up and her kidnappers did not hurt her in any way.
“They told me if I co-operate with them and don’t scream or anything I will soon go home to daddy and that is what I was trying to do. Every time anyone of them come in the room they would cover their face.”
She slept the night and yesterday morning she was given biscuits and cheese to eat, the only meal she had for the entire day before being rescued yesterday.
According to Rorhema a woman burst into the room last evening and asked her who she was but she did not want to give her name because she was scared.
“She keep asking me who I was and I didn’t want tell her I is the girl who get kidnap because I was frighten. But she keep asking me is like she think I with one of the men and she is one of them girlfriend so I don’t know if she think… She then hold my hand and pull me out the house into the street and plenty people come around and I say I is the girl who get kidnap and another lady carry me to the station,” she recounted.
The station she was taken to was the East La Penitence Police Station.
Up to last night the police were yet to issue a statement on the incident and as such it is not clear if anyone has been arrested.
Rorhema could not say whether the woman who “pulled” her out of the house was arrested. Stiff anti-kidnapping legislation had been passed by the government several years ago during a spate of kidnappings. A police anti-kidnapping group was also set up.
‘Misinformed’
Rorhema said she has no idea why she was kidnapped as her abductors did not give her any information.
“I think they were misinformed because she tell me how they say her father owe them some money and I don’t owe anybody money,” her father interjected at that point as he held his daughter tightly.
While not going into details Dookie said he “almost” paid a ransom but was told “by my advisor not to.”
He was high in praise for the police officers who worked on the case, many of whom were at the shop taking part in the celebration. He singled out a few of them for special mention.
“I am so happy my daughter is back and I want to thank all the police for the work they did,” a beaming Dookie said.
Natoo’s bar had been the site of a grisly attack in the midst of an upsurge in crime in 2002, when a gunman opened fire on patrons, killing four people and wounding others including the then acting Director of Public Prosecutions.
more to come not too sure of the reports as yet, some thing ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????.
All three papers today had different versions of how the girl get released. The Chronicle has probably the most reliable version.
In cases like this, the alledged victim and family would be well advised to be careful how to talk to the media. A brief, carefully prepared statement should suffice at this stage. Otherwise, the ongoing investigation to apprehend the alleged kidnappers could be compromised. Rash, ill advised reported mouthings could be later used in court proceedings, maybe to the advantage of the prosecuted……
I am so confused as to how someone was not even present on the scene can decide which news paper has the most reliable information.
Something about Mr Dookie tells me that he is not disclosing all he knows and I suggest that when the police finish at Mr Dookie’s shop with taking part in the celebrations; that they should study Miss Rorhema’s dad in more detail.
What are you implying, do you know something then tell it are you scared to speak your mind, if so who are you afraid off.
rubbish, just be posiyive and thank god.
Satish,
What trash yuh talkin? Wha you know bout Nathoo? Dat man is peaceful. Nuff alyuh does go about pointing fingers an speculatin about other people wrongfully. Nathoo has been known to me since the mid-eighties. I know of nothing shady nor dis-honest about him. Hope when you time come you gon be able to bear yuh cross. Rain doan fall at one man door an when it rain it does pour like Noah flood. Ah gon pray fuh yuh dough.
That’s the end of the matter Satish. Nathoo learnt his lesson.
Come one, bhai Satish. The man got back his prized daughter and is happy. Which father wouldn’t be? The rest is irrelevant, not our business. Namaste, bhai.
good observation satish,the girl did say she overheard her captors mentioning something that her father owe them some money,i believed this was a well planned and premeditated kiddnapping, as such, my opinion is that the father is not telling all he knows.
Agreed Sancho,,, This man is my friend from since 1986, he is a very decent and respectable person, he does his business in a ver professional manner, Guyana cannot ask for more peaceful and respectable citizens than these people,,, I am happy that this girl is safe…I commented on this yesterday and SN refuse to post my comment..
Satish,
I don’t understand why they are celebrating. I would be very worried. This is not over.
Is Mr. Dookie not interested in finding the perps?
I also think he is not disclosing every thing.
Thank God. she is home safe and sound with her family. since we do not know all the details,….JUDGE NOT! and be grateful it is not your daughter
Ceasing you are on the money if I were these people I would be worried I mean now they will have to send their whole family around town wid body guards because there may be copy cats and other idiots who will try to do the samething.
Natoo should also not have made too many statements about this thing. he should go back upstairs and tek a drink.
Thank God she is safe, what a scare.
How was the statement that the Chronicle “probably” has the most reliable version decided? Was it scientific, or just plain stupidity?
Samaroo,
I think Dookie know something we don’t know.
Satish, you’re right. I have to agree with you.
Which father would listen to some stupid advisors not to pay a ramsom to get his precious daughter back if he had the means? Not natural.
I rejoice with him that he got back Rorhema but I don’t get it. I just don’t.
wow…thank god she is safe….but you have to becareful now…who knows what is the next move i think this family needs to be on the look out…becareful..becareful and be safe….
All well that ends well, i’m glad that she was released by the this woman she should be questioned about her dealings with the kidnappers, i hope they are caught and brought before the courts.
A woman rescued her……Glad that she is okay but something is definitely wrong…how come none of these men were around when this woman rescued the young woman when they the gun men knew the had kidnapped someone…shouldn’t they be paying more attention…..or was it that the ransom was paid and they didn’t want to tell us????
who is this woman?, how this victim was in her house [if she lives there]? what relation she has with the kidnapper/s?
SN GET TO WORK, lot to consume your days ahead.
SandHurst, very good points.
By the way, where have you been so long.
Agreed! Something very fishy here. Dookie praising the Police for doing nothing we know of.
I feel something is fishy here.
Hey Soesdyke…i didnt had internet connections so i either had to wait until i get money or use someone else’s.
Sounds as though she had a comfortable rest. What a Big Joke.
This is a very strange story!!!!!sum ting ent wright.
I am so happy that your daughter has been returned safe and unharmed but somewhat dismayed at the praise for the police officers who worked on the case and were part of the celebration. What did these officers do to secure your daughter’s release? The article describes her release as being the result of a woman feeling scorned, evicting Rorhema from her prison and absent captives. A good ending to an event that could have ended tragically.
You’ve said exactly what i wanted to say. I’m so happy that she’s safe.
I don’t always agree with your comments, but this is a burning question I have. Well said.
Borapork , I am also happy that she is safe but have you ever heard of a kodapped person being left alone in a house which is not locked , not being tied up , gagged and no one watching him/her .
I am happy that she’s safe, but cases like this does raise eyebrows. Kidnapping was a frightening scenario in Guyana some time back, and I do hope it does not recur again. I was informed that in some cases, the ransom is payed but the person paying it is asked not to reveal to the media about this, most likely being warned about the “consequences”. The family of course is more happy to get back their loved one and the story just fade off like that.
It’s a serious “crime” to kidnap in Guyana as the Gov’t did pass a law for this, but will this law be adhere to? Money (like huge sums of ransom) is quick cash, and sickos out there may attempt to stage something just to get money. Will they be caught and be arrested?
You be the judge.
I maintain that the Gov’t is weak and need to do much more for the people and not for themselves.What a country! What a beautiful and admirable governing body!
clearly no one at SN drinks ABSOLUT
Clearly they do not Bull and clearly the SN editor is once again invisible.
Is it just me or does the story seem incomplete beyond speculating about the victim’s father? How about the victim’s boyfriend, where is he? Was he not injured? Is he ok? Has he been interviewed by the police?
SN. I SEE THAT I GOT THE AXE