The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abductors

  • Boy’s abductors demand N150m ransom

    Abductors of a two-year-old boy at Ifako-Ijaiye, a Lagos suburb, have demanded N150 million ransom from his parents.

    The boy was kidnapped on Monday at gunpoint by masked men when he was being taken to school in his parents’ black Lexus Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).

    The driver, identified as Daniel, believed to have a link with the kidnappers, is being detained by the Police. The nanny, Mrs. Adeyemo, was said to have been beaten and pushed under the SUV for trying to resist the kidnappers.

    Sources said: “The kidnappers took the driver’s phone away and it was his phone they used to contact the boy’s father. But the driver was arrested because when the security personnel tracked his call logs, it was discovered that he had close contacts with another number that the kidnappers called.”

    The boy, whose father, Olusegun Alonge, owns Barachel Group of Schools, is the only child of his parents who have been married for 15 years.

    A source said the abductors, who were about four in number, came in a black Mitsubishi Montero SUV, which they parked about seven buildings away from the victim’s compound.

    “Residents noticed the black Montero SUV but were not suspicious because the occupants were playing around. Suddenly, as the Lexus SUV carrying the child approached, they blocked it. The driver, it seemed, tried to resist them, but they threatened to break the windscreen and when he saw their guns he was frightened.

    “After they succeeded in overpowering the driver, the nanny refused to hand over the kid to them and she was thrown under their car after being beaten severely and the baby was whisked away,” the source said.

    The Nation gathered from a top security operative that the gang has contacted the boy’s father and demanded ransom.

    Alonge confirmed the abduction, saying: “Yes, my son was being taken to school when the kidnappers abducted my little boy. I don’t know why anyone would want to hurt a two-year-old boy, or my family,” he said.

    Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Ngozi Braide, said she was not aware of the incident, but promised to confirm.

  • Release Okonjo-Iweala’s mum, Mark tells abductors

    Release Okonjo-Iweala’s mum, Mark tells abductors

    Senate President, David Mark, on Tuesday urged abductors of Prof. Mabel Kamene Okonjo, mother of Minister Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to release her unconditionally.

    Mark in a passionate appeal urged the abductors to honour the time-tested biblical injunction that “we should honour our parents and by extension those who are old enough to be our parents.”

    A statement by Special Adviser on media and publicity to the Senate President, Kola Ologbondiyan, quoted Mark as saying that “the abduction of any Nigerian is condemnable.

    He described the abduction of the mother of a notable Nigerian like Dr. Okonjo-Iweala as an attack on the international reputation of the country.

    Mark added that “abductors are causing the nation’s reputation grave harm among the comity of nations.”

    For Mark, the crime of abduction is not different from the senseless killings being perpetrated by the Boko Haram sect.

    He asked the police to intensify efforts in securing the release of Prof. Kamene Okonjo as well as bring the perpetrators of the heinous act to book.

     

  • Abductors of journalist’s wife demand N10m ransom

    The four unknown gunmen, who kidnapped Marian, the wife of Jimitota Onoyume of Vanguard Newspaper, have demanded N10 million ransom.

    Onoyume’s wife was kidnapped on Monday morning.

    The Nissan Quest car, with which Marian was taking their two daughters to school at about 7:30am, has been recovered, but the journalist’s wife’s whereabouts remain unknown.

    Onoyume, a Port Harcourt-based journalist, is pleading with the fully-armed kidnappers to release his wife unconditionally.

    His wife was kidnapped at the Onoyumes’ Eku hometown in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State and moved to an unknown destination.

    “They (kidnappers) called me with my daughter’s MTN line (08109808162), demanding N10 million as ransom.

    “I pleaded with them that I had never held a million naira before. They said I have an SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), that I am a rich man.

    “I again begged them that the jeep was bought as fairly used and it is 1995 model of Pathfinder.

    “I begged them to please release my wife. That I am a reporter and journalists are not known to be rich. We may be seen on television, but we are only doing our job. They later said I should send MTN airtime, which I did.

    “My wife’s car has been recovered. It was abandoned at Abraka, Ethiope East LGA of Delta state (the seat of Delta State University, DELSU), “ the apparently perplexed husband said on Tuesday.

     

  • No contact with abductors of Osun Speaker’s wife

    The abductors of Alhaja Muibat Salaam, wife of Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam, are yet to contact the family.

    Alhaja Salaam was on Tuesday kidnapped by gunmen on her way home from her shop in Ejigbo, her husband’s hometown.

    The Assembly condemned the kidnap, describing it as “barbaric, criminal and strange”.

    In a statement by the speaker’s media aide, Mr. Goke Butika, the House said the abduction was designed to “adulterate the atmosphere of peace in the state.”

    It described Alhaja Salaam as “a responsible mother and wife, who does not believe in living on her husband alone, but working hard to support her family”.

    The Assembly said it was “unfortunate for some gun-wielding men to waylay a helpless woman” and urged security operatives to get to the root of the matter.

    It said: “Osun State is known for peace and tranquility. The crime rate is very low and kidnapping is strange. So, the abduction of the wife of the speaker, who keeps an open door policy, is worth investigating.”

    The speaker said he would not comment until the issue is resolved.

    The state chapter of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) said Alhaja Salaam’s kidnap is an “ominous development, which signals the gradual spread of criminality and anarchy across the country”.

    In a statement by its Publicity Director Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, ACN said: “This is a matter of serious concern because the Federal Government has lost total control of security in the country. The situation is getting worse and this calls for serious thought about the creation of state police to help the Federal Government cope with the rapidly deteriorating security situation.

    “We urge the political class to take a second look at the issue of security. No doubt, the Federal Government is losing the war against criminals and if we allow total anarchy to set in, the country would be the worst for it and its corporate existence would be endangered.”

    ACN urged the police to find the speaker’s wife and advised the kidnappers to release her unconditionally.

     

  • Abductors of Delta lawmaker’s wife demand N100m ransom

    Abductors of the wife of Mr. Kenneth Preyor, the Delta State House of Assembly member representing Bomadi Constituency, Mrs. Campaign Preyor, have demanded N100 million ransom for her release.

    Delta police spokesman Charles Muka confirmed the development and said the kidnappers have agreed to negotiate.

    Muka said the police would do everything within their power to secure Mrs. Preyor’s release.

    He said kidnapping is a capital offence and anyone involved in it would be punished.

    Mrs. Preyor was kidnapped at their country home last Saturday at about 11pm by gunmen, who took her away on a speed boat.