A brother of an Igbo businessman, Chief Desmond Oko, kidnapped on Tuesday night, has equally been abducted in Calabar, Cross River State capital.
Chief Oko’s brother was abducted on Saturday when he took ransom to the kidnappers.
“It was learnt that Champion brother was kidnapped when he went with the ransom; the hoodlums collected the ransom, released Champion (his brother) and then held the brother asking for more ransom,” a source hinted.
It was also learnt that one of the Calabar socialites, whose identity is yet to be known, was kidnapped on Saturday, February 22, at Efio-Ete Axis in Calabar municipality about 9:00 pm.
A witness, Eno Emmanuel, said the abductors had traced the victim to a joint at Efio-Ete where they hid and later struck as soon as he entered his car to head for home.
Eno, who sells oranges around the junction, said: “We just heard a gunshot and we thought they were robbers because most times they just come shoot and carry something and zoom off. But this one was different. They just carried one man and took off.”
However, family sources revealed that Champion and his brother were released after paying N3.5m ransom, while Chief Desmond was released on Saturday night after paying about N2m to his abductors.
Sadly, the kidnappers of the account staff of Chronicle newspaper, Maurice Archibong, have reportedly contacted the family and demanded N1.5m as ransom before his release.
For the lecturer, David Ugwu of the University of Calabar whisked away at his residence along Atimbo, his abductors are demanding for N15m.
Meanwhile, some top Igbo business men were said to have sent a delegation to Akwa Ibom government to allocate some parcel of land where they can build shops as Cross River is becoming too insecure.
Sources close to the Igbo community leadership in the state disclosed that they had a series of meetings in recent times, advising Igbo business men to try and relocate their businesses to a more friendly state rather than making money for kidnappers.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Irene Ugbo, in an interview said, “We are aware that somebody has been kidnapped but I have not been briefed by the anti-kidnapping squad if at all the matter has been reported to the squad.”
