Adekunbi Ero
Rampaging kidnappers reportedly struck again at the weekend in Edo State abducting two persons, and have since opened negotiation for ransom with their families. First to be kidnapped was the Director, Primary Health Care of Owan East local government area, Dr. Monday Iraoya who was said to have been ambushed on Friday between Uhumora and Ozalla while on his way to Benin from Afuze, headquarters of Owan East local government area of the state to collect COVID-19 training materials.
According to a family source, “He was kidnapped on Friday, May 15 while traveling to Benin to collect training materials for COVID-19. They have contacted the family and are requesting for 100 million”. The source hinted that frantic efforts by family members to raise the demanded amount in order to secure Iraoya’s release only yielded N900,000.
And on Saturday, a former commissioner for sports, and erstwhile local government council chairman in the state, Egbe Ediagbonya was also reportedly kidnapped from his Okada farm settlement near Utese, Ovia North-east local government area of the state in the early hours of the day. It was gathered that Ediagbonya, who served in the administration of the immediate past governor of the state, Adams Oshiomhole, was bundled away at gun-point between 2 and 4 am after his abductors succeeded in breaking into his farm house.
A family source told the magazine that the suspected kidnappers, who had opened negotiation with the family, were demanding N15 million ransom. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor said he was expecting a comprehensive briefing on the two incidents from the police formations in the respective areas.
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