A former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Professor Onje Gye-Wado, has been kidnapped.
Prof Gye-Wado was deputy to the incumbent national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu between 1999 and 2003.
A family source said the former deputy governor was abducted on Thursday night in his village in Rinza, near Wamba, the headquarters of Wamba local government area.
“The wife came in for Easter and they broke into the house through her widow and took him away. They called around 4am today (yesterday) and threatened to kill him, without mentioning any amount,” the source said.
The state police command confirmed the abduction. In a statement by the command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, the commissioner of Police in the state, Maiyaki Baba, assured of the safe return of Prof Gye-wado
The statement said the police tactical team had been drafted to the area and was intensifying search for him.
The commissioner of police called on anyone with useful information that would enable the police succeed in the rescue operation to call the command’s phone numbers: 09115629178, 09067877096, 08112692680 and 08104441179.
The abductors demanded N70 million for his release. They had earlier reached out to a family member but did not spell out conditions for his release.
However, a family source said they reached out Friday night requesting for the sum of N70 million before he can regain his freedom.
He said the family members had offered N2 million, which the kidnappers rejected, noting that there was no way they can raise the amount demanded, especially with the public holiday yesterday, and Monday, which is also public holiday.
