Chief Fynman Wilson, the Special Adviser to Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State has been abducted.
He was reportedly kidnapped in his house, Sagbama, Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
Details soon
Tag: abducted
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Former DSS DG’s elder brother abducted
Chief Asuquo Ekpenyong Ekpe, the elder brother of the immediate past Director General of the Department of State Security, Ekpenyong Ita, was at about 4am on yesterday whisked away by unknown gunmen in his Creek Town home in Odukpani local government area of Cross River State.
The gunmen whose number could not be ascertained, a source in the area said gained access to the area in a boat through the Creek.
“Several armed men just burst into his house on Friday night and whisked them away through the narrow canal here, which is only navigable at high tide, through the main access Creek into the main beach and into the Calabar River from where they disappeared. Soldiers have been sent to the area as we speak,” the source said.
Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Hogan Bassey, confirmed the incident.
Bassey said they were on top of the situation and would ensure his release.
He said the police was unaware of any ransome demand.
It would recalled that father of the former Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Efiok Cobham, was abducted in the same vicinity and in the same manner in October, 2013.
He was eventually released, amid rumours of a ransome.
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Abducted UAM lecturer escapes
Mr. Joseph Orsar of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi (UAM) who was abducted by unknown gunmen on Friday, last week, has escaped.
Sources informed The Nation that Orsar, who teaches in the Department of Wild Life and Range Management of UAM, managed to escape while his family members were busy making arrangement on how to source for the N30 million ransom earlier demanded by his abductors before he could be released.
Orsar was said to have run into Gbagyo village in Guma local Government where the Kindred Head of Nnanev, Zaki Orkpe Gbagyo later got in contact with one Dr. J. K. Ikya of UAM’s Department of Food Science and Technology.
It would be recalled that Orsar’s abduction which occurred around 5pm at his Federal Housing Estate home in North Bank, Makurdi house last Friday, provoked an outcry by both workers and residents in the area.
Chairperson of Academic Staff Union of Universities-UAM, Dr. Bemgba Anjembe, said Dr. Ikya subsequently got across to UAM Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Emmanuel Kutcha, who arranged for security men that eventually rescued Orsar from the Village.
“As a union, we wish to state that the act of kidnapping, demanding or ransom and ransom taking is condemnable and we are asking the security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the abduction of our colleague.”
Anjembe, who noted that though Orsar had earlier been suspended from the union for anti-union activities, added that ASUU was empathising with him based on the union’s principle to defend the rights and legitimate aspirations of all citizens of this country.
He stressed that before now, UAM had been peaceful with no incidence of abduction He prayed there would never be a reoccurrence of such incidence again, urging his members to be security conscious at all times.
Anjembe said: “I wish to express gratitude to the Gbagyo community as led by Zaki Orkpe Gbagyo for coming to the aid of our colleague as we await the outcome of investigation on the matter. I encourage our members to be security alert at all times.”
The state Deputy Police Public Relations Officer (DPPRO), ASP Matthew Oku, confirmed the report and his rescue, adding that investigation was still ongoing on the matter.
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Anxiety in Edo over abducted AAU lecturer
•Kidnapped Magistrate released
There is anxiety in Edo State over the whereabouts of a kidnap victim and a traditional title holder, Dr Paul Erie.
The associate professor at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, has been in his captors’ den for one month.
The other victim, Mrs Victoria Oyekpen, is a Magistrate in Jattu, Etsako West Local Government Area and wife of the Bishop of Akoko-Edo Diocese of Anglican Church.
Residents of Igbanke, Orhionmown Local Government Area, and the university community are at pains about Dr Erie’s whereabouts, one month after he was abducted from his home.
The traditional ruler of the community, the Onojie of Omolua, Dr Isaac Uwaifo, told our reporter yesterday that the community was worried about Dr Erie.
He said: “We have not heard from them (kidnappers). We learnt they spoke with his wife once. After that, they have not sent any message – written or oral. Our people are worried.”
Last week, AAU’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) staged a peaceful protest in Ekpoma and suspended lectures and examinations over Dr Erie’s abduction.
Mrs Oyekpen was reportedly abducted last Saturday evening by some gunmen on Igarra-Ibillo Road in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
She was released on Sunday afternoon by her abductors in an unclear circumstance.
None of her family was ready to speak on the incident.
It was gathered that Mrs Oyekpen, last Saturday, arrived from Asaba, Delta State, for a church engagement in company of the wife of the late Archbishop of Bendel Province of the Anglican Church, Dame Mabel Agbaje, and others.
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Cocoa association chieftain abducted in Ondo
Barely 48 hours after security operatives secured the released of the Regent of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government of Ondo State, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon from her abductors, the Executive Secretary of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria (CAN), Mr Michael Segun Adewunmi, was on Thursday night kidnapped in Akure, the state capital.
Family sources said that he was abducted when he was on his way from office for an official engagement.
The victim was said to have informed his secretary to wait for him until he returns from the official assignment.
It was gathered that family members became suspicious when he did not answer calls put to his mobile phones.
Worried by the unanswered calls, Adewunmi’s wife contacted his secretary who told her to wait for him in the office.
A search team was organised for the victim leading to the recovery of his black Toyota Lexus Jeep along Akinjo Junction Oshokoti, Akure.
The car with number plate ANG 149 AA has since been taken to Ijapo Police Station.
The unidentified kidnappers were said to have gone away with some items of their victim including mobile phones.
One of his phones was however found on the ground by a man who was on his way to a vigil organised by a white garment chuirch at Olu Foam area, Akure . The phone was later handed over to the family members.
A family source said the suspected kidnappers have contacted the family but have not demanded any ransom.
A police source at the Ijapo Police Division who confirmed the story said that investigation was ongoing.
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Abducted Lagos boy rescued in Ogun
The police in Ogun State have rescued another child, Abraham Adeyemi (five), who was abducted from a church in Somolu, a suburb of Lagos, on Sunday.
Master Adeyemi, who gave his parents’ name as “Mummy Sarah and Daddy Sarah”, was rescued at Imedu-Nla, by the police in Mowe.
The boy was found at 2 pm by a man and a pastor attached to the Foursquare Gospel Church.
Master Adeyemi said his kidnappers told him they were taking him to an eatery, Mr Biggs, to buy food for him, but could not explain how he found himself in Imedu-Nla, Mowe.
It was discovered that he is a pupil of the New Way Nursery and Primary School, Lagos.
Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi told reporters in Abeokuta, the state capital, that a pastor found the boy within the premises of the Foursquare Gospel Church, Imedu-Nla, after the close of service.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP), said the pastor could not extract useful information from the boy regarding his family or contact address, adding that a piece of paper bearing a telephone number and fastened to the boy’s shirt, also offered no clues to the parents.
According to him, several calls were placed on the telephone number but none of them went through. No ransom has been demanded.
Adejobi said: “This is the fourth time kids we have rescued in Ogun recently . The boy was found at a church and probably dropped there by the kidnappers.
“He could not give valid information about his family and we have not been able to locate his family.
“We believe he was kidnapped in a place near Canal in Lagos, nobody has demanded ransom, and we are advising churches to take security of kids serious during service. Parents should also watch their children during service.”
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Police officer’s wife, daughter abducted in Abia
Two unknown men at the weekend abducted the wife and 18-year-old daughter of a police officer attached to the Rivers State Police Command, Mr Cletus Oke.
The abductors, who operated on a motorcycle, reportedly attacked Oke, a Superintendent of Police (SP), in his Volvo car at 8.30pm at Osusu Abala village, Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State.
They beat him up and took his wife and daughter away to an unknown place in his car.
It was learnt that the incident occurred on Saturday.
Abia State Police Commissioner Ibrahim Adamu could not be reached for comments last night.
Gunmen, last Thursday, abducted a woman and her two children on the outskirts of Ohuru village in Obingwa Local Government Area.
The Nation learnt that the police recovered the victim’s Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) at Owerrinta, in Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area.
The police assured that efforts were on to rescue the woman and her children.
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Where is ex-Governor Sylva’s abducted uncle?
The is an octogenarian, about 86-year-old. Any hairy part of his head had already turned grey. Adigio-Eseni, a community leader, no doubt deserves respect, especially from the youths. The octogenarian is a favourite uncle to former Bayelsa State Governor Timipre Sylva.
On July 28, youths as young as his grandchildren stormed his home in Okpoama, Brass Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, at about 2am, and whisked him away. Without respect to the age of the octogenarian, the armed youths kicked, pushed him and tore his clothes before bundling him away in a speedboat to an unknown place.
The hoodlums unsettled the community with their sporadic gunshots before and after abducting the grandfather. Two weeks after the incident, nothing was heard from the kidnappers. They kept family members of their victim in the dark and created anxieties over the safety of Adigio-Eseni. Their action created panic among the children of the victim raising suspicion over the motives of the gunmen.
The affected relatives were in dilemma, especially considering the health condition of their benefactor.
He has high blood pressure. He was only being sustained by his drugs. His abductors didn’t go with the drug neither did they go with his phone.
The family thought that they would come out to make their demands . It took over two weeks before the kidnappers asked for ransom. They want N250m to set the old man free. He was also allowed to speak with a family member and the family was relieved, but worried about where to get that kind of money.
Fabo, the third son in the family, suspects that their father was abducted for political reasons because of his relationship with Sylva, who is now a leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
Apart from being his uncle, Sylva, according to Fabo, was very close to their father.
He said: “We are suspecting that it is political because of his relationship with former Governor Sylva. Maybe some persons kidnapped him to get at Sylva. We know our dad is not a politician and he has been sick for sometimes.
“He has been in the house and he hardly goes out even to the church. But he is a very close uncle to Sylva. Any time he (Sylva) comes to the village, his first port of call is my dad’s place.
“We are down and my step mum is the worst hit. She has been in shock and depressed. She doesn’t know what to do. She has not uttered a word since then. We are even afraid. Everybody is downcast. There is nothing we can do because the old man is the pillar of the family.”
Just like Fabo said, the 70-year-old wife of Adigio-Eseni has been a ghost of herself since her husband was taken to the kidnappers’ den. But her spirits were lifted a little on Tuesday when she was told that the kidnappers contacted a member of the family. She was also told that her husband’s voice was heard for the first time after about 15 days.
“I miss my husband. Until l see him l won’t be at rest. I am begging the kidnappers to set him free for me. They should at least consider his old age. Since they took him away from me, my life has not been the same again,”she said.
But where will the money come from? That is the family’s dilemma.
Fabo said: “We are a little relieved to learn that our father for the first time spoke. This is an indication that he is still alive. At least negotiation has started.
“We, however, learnt that his voice was very down perhaps because of his sickness. He should be released to come back to us. Hearing that he is alive makes us happy.
“Where do they expect us to get that kind of money? We don’t have money. We are appealing to them to release our father on humanitarian ground.”
Commissioner of Police Mr. Hilary Opara said the command was doing everything possible to rescue the octogenarian. Hilary whose command has been solving many kidnap cases in recent time promised to bring back Adigio-Eseni alive.
Certainly, the octogenarian does not deserve the kind of treatment being meted out to him. The youths who are holding him should think of their own old age. That is if they leave to even see old age.
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Police rescue abducted woman in Aba
Men of the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Aba Area Command and military personnel have rescued an Aba-based businesswoman, Ebere Amarachukwu Chimaranma, from her abductors.
Chimaranma, The Nation gathered, was kidnapped at Umuchichi village behind Glass Industries, Aba, Abia State around 6pm on October 16 by three gunmen.
She was said to have gone to the village to monitor the work done on a building construction site before her abduction.
According to an eyewitness, who pleaded for anonymity, the three men arrived the construction site minutes after the woman arrived.
The witness said: “The woman was inspecting how the labourers at the site were pouring the German floor with the site engineer when three boys, suspected to be kidnappers, arrived at the site and ordered her to enter her Honda Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) car.
The kidnappers were said to have dropped her in a village at Obingwa where she was later picked up by the police and military joint team on Sunday evening.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Geoffrey Ogbonna confirmed the release of the businesswoman.
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Abducted Rivers’ monarch released
The Eze Ochialiri II of Rumuji, Rivers State, Emmanuel Obisike Eche, who was kidnapped last weekend, has been released at Abual River front.
One of his sons, Eche Kenneth, said: “My father has been released, for now, we don’t want to say anything but we’re thanking God for everything.”
A source from the family alleged that the monarch paid N6million ransom.
“I will tell you that our chief paid N6million to regain his freedom, though nobody in his position will tell you he paid something,” the source said.