The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abductors

  • Abductors of Ondo monarch’s wife demand N20m ransom

    Abductors of Olori Olukemi Agunloye, the wife of Alauga of Auga in Akoko Northeast Local Government Area of Ondo State, have demanded N20 million ransom for her release and the driver with whom she had been in captivity since last Sunday.

    The monarch’s wife and the driver were between Auga and Ise Akoko on their way to Ugbe Akoko, the home town of the Olori, for a family meeting.

    The monarch, who broke the news yesterday, urged the abductors to temper justice with mercy as negotiation was on going. Monarchs in Akoko have expressed concern about incessant kidnaping on Akunu-Auga-Ise-Isua axis.

    There have been several security meetings in the area.

    The Olubaka of Oka, Oba Yusuf Adeleye and Akala of Ikaram, Oba Andrew Momodu, expressed sympathy with the Alauga on behalf of Akoko traditional council.

    Residents of Auga town have been praying and fasting for a safe release of the Olori and the driver.

  • Abductors demand N5m ransom to free kidnapped kids

    Abductors of  two children in Ndi Uduma Oso Edda, Afikpo South local government area of Ebonyi state are demanding the sum of N5million to free them.
    Th 104 years old paternal grandfather of the victims died on Sunday at the Matter Misericodae hospital, Afikpo in Afikpo North local government area of the state after the hoodlums inflicted sever machete injuries on him.

    The gunmen numbering about four had invaded the house of James Alum Nkama, father of the kidnapped children at 11;pm  and shattered the louvers of his windows with bullets in a bid to gain entry into the house.

    Nkama and his family members are all members of Jehovah’s witnesses. Nkama and some members of his family escaped during the invasion of their home  and left the two children.

    Police spokesman in the state, Loveth Odah confirmed that the kidnappers are demanding the sum of N5million to free the children.

    Odah said “two days ago, two family members of the man visited my office demanding for the pictures of the kidnapped children and other information to enable us announce it on air.

    “One of the family members told me that someone called him on phone with a hidden number saying “you witch, before you get your children you have to pay N5million.

    “The man confirmed to me that he sold a land for a huge amount  and that the money is finished. So, it might be the people that saw the money that may have done this evil” Odah stated

  • Abductors of INEC official cut ransom to N.5m

    Suspected kidnappers of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) worker in Akwa Ibom State, Otobong Sylvester Ukpong, have reduced their ransom to N500,000.

    Ukpong was reportedly abducted last week by armed bandits at Uruk Ata 2 on the Ekparakwa-Azumini Road on his way to work at the Ukanafun Local Government Area office of the commission.

    The abductors had demanded for N10 million but reduced the amount to N500,000, a family source told The Nation yesterday.

    “We insisted we can only afford N200,000 million,” the family member, who spoke in confidence, said.

    Another member of the family confirmed on phone that “negotiation to release him is ongoing”.

    He added: “In the last discussion we had with them through my brother’s (Otobong’s) phone, the militants had reduced the initial ransom of N10 million to N500,000 and we are still negotiating to what we can afford.”

    Police Commissioner Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said a combined security operatives comprising the police, navy, soldiers and the Department of State Services (DSS) had been mobilised to track down the suspects with a view to releasing their captives.

  • Abductors of Akwa Ibom INEC official reduce ransom to N.5m

    Suspected kidnappers of an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) worker in Akwa Ibom State, Otobong Sylvester Ukpong, have reduced their ransom to N500,000.

    Ukpong was reportedly abducted last week by armed bandits at Uruk Ata 2 on the Ekparakwa-Azumini Road on his way to work at the Ukanafun Local Government Area office of the commission.

    The abductors had demanded for N10 million but reduced the amount to N500,000, a family source told The Nation yesterday.

    “We insisted we can only afford N200,000 million,” the family member, who spoke in confidence, said.

    Another member of the family confirmed on phone that “negotiation to release him is ongoing”.

    He added: “In the last discussion we had with them through my brother’s (Otobong’s) phone, the militants had reduced the initial ransom of N10 million to N500,000 and we are still negotiating to what we can afford.”

    Police Commissioner Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi said a combined security operatives comprising the police, navy, soldiers and the Department of State Services (DSS) had been mobilised to track down the suspects with a view to releasing their captives.

  • Abductors of Delta monarch demand N15m ransom

    Seven gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen yesterday demanded N15 million ransom to release the Obi of Ogodo, HRH Sunday Olisewokwu.

    The Ogodo clan live in an agrarian community in Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta State.

    The abductors were said to have demanded for the ransom with a caveat that it should be paid by 6 p.m yesterday.

    But there were no indications that the matter was settled last night.

    The monarch, who is in his 40s, was abducted yesterday by masked men between neighbouring Ezi and Onicha-Olona communities.

    Olisewokwu is the chairman of Aniocha North Local Government Traditional Rulers’ Committee.

    Family sources confirmed the abduction, saying two aides of the monarch were injured during the attack.

    It was gathered that the abductors also allegedly attacked Ezi and Olona communities.

    It was gathered that the hoodlums also attacked motorists travelling to Issele-Uku, the council’s administrative headquarters, through Idumu-Ogor.

    They were said to have also beaten up a family of five on their farm.

    A source said a search party comprising members of vigilance groups in Ogodo, Olona and Ezi was immediately constituted to trail the abductors and rescue their victim.

    But their efforts had not yielded positive result at the time of filing this report last night.

    Police spokesman Andrew Aniamaka, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), did not answer calls to his mobile phone.

    But he replied via a text message, saying: “I am in the CP’s briefing now. Pleases! I will call you later, sir!”

  • Abductors cut ransom on Otun Olubadan’s twins to N10m

    The kidnappers of the twins of Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, yesterday  reduced the ransom from N40 million to N10 million.

    The abductors had demanded N100 million to release the twins, a boy and a girl.

    They initially reduced the amount to N40 million.

    The children were kidnapped last week at gunpoint in Akobo, Ibadan.

    Oba Balogun confirmed yesterday the ransom was reduced to N10 million.

    He hoped that his twins would soon be released.

    Efforts to get the police to react were futile, as calls to the command’s spokesman, Adekunle Ajisebutu, came unanswered.

  • Ibadan monarch twins: Abductors reduce ransom to N40m

    THE abductors of Oba Lekan Balogun twins have again called the distraught monarch to inform of slashing the ransom placed on the twins from the initial N100 million to N40million.

    The kidnappers had on Tuesday stormed the Akobo residence of the Otun-Olubadan of Ibadanland, and made away with his set of twins, a not and a girl aged 5years. Sources closed to the family gave the hint on Friday, noting that the helpless family had resorted into intensive prayers for the release of the twins.

    The family source said that it was the family’s decision to look unto God for intervention as the ransom being demanded was just too much for the family to bear, considering that the family head (Oba Balogun) has for sometime now concentrated his time on his traditional title calling rather than on any business. It was gathered that the family had been inundated with several visits and telephone calls in sympathy with it over the incident since it became a media issue late Thursday.

    Confirming the development, the monarchs immediate younger brother, Alhaji Bashiru Balogun, who spoke on behalf of the family told reporters that as much as the family looks unto God, “we are equally hoping and relying on the efforts of the security agents to secure the release of the innocent kids.

    “I equally want to plead with the abductors to please, in the name of God and anything that is good to spare us this trauma and release the innocent children, who can hardly differentiate their left from right. “They should please just consider the innocence of the kidnapped children. You all know my brother as peace-loving and kind hearted person, who is ready to sacrifice anything for the happiness of others, he doesn’t in anyway deserve this kind of treatment from the society he had committed himself to for several years now.” When asked about the condition of the mother of the children, Mrs. Funmilayo Balogun, the family spokesperson said her condition had become in an undisclosed hospital where she had been admitted since the incident.

  • Community leader freed by abductors

    An leader in Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chief Goodluck Umetor, has been freed by his kidnappers.

    His abductors collected N1 million from his family and withdrew large amount from his four accounts with Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards.

    The hoodlums still inflicted machete cuts on him.

    The victim, who was released in the early hours of yesterday, said he almost died in the den of the kidnappers.

    Spokesman Nnamdi Omoni, a deputy superintendent of Police (DSP), said the abductors released Umetor because the police were closing in on them.

    Omoni noted that the Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, sent enough men to the forest to ensure the “unconditional” release of the victim.

    Umetor was, on Monday evening, kidnapped at Ndele at gunpoint.

    The hoodlums killed two persons in the ancient community.

    The victim said: “The kidnappers took me on a journey in a deep forest. They dragged me blindfolded and we trekked about 60 kilometres before we arrived their base. They said they were hired to assassinate me, but they changed their minds to collect ransom and free me.

    “They inflicted machete cuts on my head, back and other parts of my body. They collected my four ATM cards and sent somebody to go and withdraw money from my accounts, before collecting N1 million from my family.

    “They warned that I should not block the accounts, that they would be withdrawing money at will. They said if I block the accounts, that they would come after me again. They also threatened to kill me, if I try to give their identities to anyone.”

    Umetor said he was grateful to God for sparing his life, urging security agencies to be proactive to nip criminal activities in the bud.

  • Abductors of ex-commissioner keep silent

    Abductors of ex-commissioner keep silent

    Panic has gripped the family of the kidnapped ex-Commissioner for Transportation in Bayelsa State, Mrs. Marie Ebikake, following silence by her abductors.

    A family source said four days after she was kidnapped, her captors only called on Monday and said she was in their custody.

    The source, who spoke in confidence, said after the brief phone conversion, the abductors switched off their phone.

    He said: “Since she (Ebikake) was forcibly taken away on Sunday morning, they (kidnappers) only called the family briefly on Monday. They did not tell us anything about ransom and why she was abducted.

    “Since then they have kept mum. Their silence is worrying us. The development has heightened fear and anxiety among us.

    “We’ve not heard from Madam Ebikake. The captors’ quietness is getting everybody confused. We pray she is well and kicking.”

    Police spokesman Asinim Butswat said: “We are investigating the incident.”

  • Police: we’ve deployed men to fish out abductors

    Police: we’ve deployed men to fish out abductors

    THROUGH its Kaduna State Command, the Police yesterday spoke of efforts to track the abductors of the Americans and Canadians and bring them to book.

    The Command’s anti-kidnap unit has been sent after the gunmen, its spokesman, Mukhtar Aliyu, said last night.

    Aliyu urged Nigerians to be vigilant and to report suspected persons or group of persons to the appropriate authorities.

    Also yesterday, the Force Public Relations Officer (PRO), Moshood Jimoh, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said the Police would continue to try their best to protect lives and properties.

    His response was contained in a statement sent to our correspondent yesterday

    It reads: “Under the current Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Kpotum Idris, the Nigeria Police Force has  renewed its commitment to ensuring adequate protection, safety and security of lives and properties and our efforts across the country have continued to yield positive results.

    “Many have spoken about security agencies being overstretched with inadequate budgetary allocations and other resources and you will remember that the IGP has spoken of how these affect the police in critical ways.

    “For instance, the United Nations’ recommended ratio of policing is far from being attained when you consider that less than four hundred thousand policemen police a nation of close to two hundred million people.

    “Nonetheless, the Nigeria Police Force deeply appreciates the support and cooperation of members of the public for the timely information and support that has facilitated the achievement of numerous success stories.”