- Hoodlums abducted the wife of a senior officer at the Independent National Electoral Commission in Akwa Ibom state
- The suspected hoodlums have reduced the ransom from N10 million to N1 million before they can free the woman
- They were said to have reduced the ransom when they knew that the family could not meet up with the initial ransom of N10 million
Suspected hoodlums who kidnapped the wife of a senior officer at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Akwa Ibom state, Effiong Ekere, have reduced the ransom to N1 million, The Punch reports.
NAIJ.com gathered that Mrs Ekereke, a senior nursing officer, was kidnapped on January 1, from her home in Ikot Akpankuk, Ukanafun local government area.
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The kidnappers were said to have requested for a ransom of N10 million before they could free the woman.
A source who preferred to be anonymous on Wednesday, January 3, said that the assailants later reduced the ransom to one million naira when they knew that the family could not meet up with the N10 million ransom.
Etim Umoh, an indigene of the area, said the hoodlums kidnapped the lady in place of her husband, who failed to honour a letter the hoodlums sent to him demanding N1 million or risk death.
“It has become the usual practice here for leaders of criminal gangs to send letters to prospective targets, mostly civil servants, businessmen and politicians demanding a certain amount of money or be attacked or kidnapped for ransom,” he said.
Adeyemi Ogunjemilusi, the commissioner of police, Akwa Ibom state, who took over the command on Tuesday, assured that he would do his best possible to sustain peace in Ukanfun and Etim Ekpo areas of the state.
NAIJ.com previously reported that Senator Ayo Arise and his driver, who were kidnapped on Sunday, December 3, have been released by their abductor after spending five days in captivity.
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Arise was released on Friday morning by his abductors at an undisclosed location in Ijumu local government area of Kogi state and left to find his way.
The senator's family reportedly paid the sum of twenty million naira to his abductors to secure his release and that of his driver.
Nigerians speak angrily about alleged kidnappers caught in Lagos on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng