By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
The kidnappers who abducted six ad-hoc Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials in Kogi State have demanded N50 million for the release of their kidnapped victims.
The victims were said to be returning from Kupa North and South under Lokoja Local Government Area in Kogi State before they were attacked by armed hoodlums.
However, the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) in Kogi State, SP William Ovye Aya in a statement issued to journalists concerning the incident, said 96 persons were rescued by the Police, three were injured and two victims were yet to be accounted for.
However, addressing a press conference on Monday on behalf of the families of the kidnapped victims in Lokoja, an Assistant Presiding Officer II, (APO II) in the March 18th Kogi House of Assembly election identified as Babalola Oluwatobi Peter said his sister was part of those who are still held in captivity.
Peter, who is a brother to one of the victims therefore faulted the claim from the Nigeria Police Force that all the kidnapped victims have been rescued.
According to him Muhammed Maimunat and Abdulrahman Raji, who are two serving Corps members are still being held captive.
INEC Ad-Hoc staff who are still in captivity according to Peter are Oyaniran Atinuke Ruth, Florence Shayo Ajayi, Opara Tina and Blessing.
Narrating the ugly incident, Peter said “We were coming from Kupa North and South for the Kogi State House of Assembly election. I worked in the North, so we left the North some minutes past six and we got to the South at 8:03 PM when we were asked to move to Lokoja by our SPOs.
He said that he resisted the temptation of going to Lokoja that night just like Corps members who supported his position but the SPO south said he wanted to move.
. “When we got to Obajana, the armed robbers attacked us. We had six vehicles and our car happened to be the second one” he said.
While the second vehicle mistakenly rammed into a culvert and could not move, the third vehicle hit us from the back he said.
According to him, of the three police officers, only one was armed When the armed robbers attacked us, the armed Police officer was the one who instructed us to pull off our white and run for our dear life.
“The incident happened between 1 am-2 am. Those people that were kidnapped were directly from our bus. We told the security agency including INEC that we are still looking for six people including my sister. They said we should not worry that we would find them”, he said.
Much to his chagrin, he expressed his shocked when he read in some dailies that the kidnapped victims have been rescued.
“Nothing of such. They contacted us recently, demanding N50Million” Peter claimed.
“The kidnappers keep calling us with different numbers. You cannot call them, but they can only call you. They even told us to send them a recharge card which we did just because we don’t want them to hurt my sister and every other victim in their custody.
He, however, called on the Government and security agencies to work towards the release of the abducted victims.
The husband of one of the victims, Olawafemi Olakanmi said he last spoke to his wife (Florence Shayo Ajayi) around midnight before the incident occurred. “I have not slept since my wife was kidnapped on 19th March 2023. I only call on God to set my wife free” he stated.
All efforts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer, (PPRO) in Kogi State SP William Ovye Aya proved abortive as at the time of filing this report on Monday.
He failed to pick up calls or respond to text messages sent to his phone lines.
It would be recalled that some ad-hoc INEC staff were abducted in Obajana early on Sunday, 19th March 2023 during the Kogi State House of Assembly election.
