UNIDENTIFIED militants, who kidnapped 70- year-old Mrs Hansel Seibaragu, mother of Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker are reportedly demanding N50 million to free their hostage.
This is as the Speaker, Hon. Werinipre Seibaragu returned, weekend, from South Africa to join forces with the state government officials to effect the release of his mother.
A competent source told Daily Champion yesterday that the kidnappers wanted N50 million as ransom for the release of Mrs Seibaragu.Special Assistant on Media to Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr Jonah Okah, however, said he was not aware of the N50 million ransom but confirmed that negotiations were on to release the old woman.
Speaking on the travails of his mother, the lawmaker appealed to the kidnappers to release his mother on humanitarian ground.
While expressing sadness over the incident, Mr. Seibaragu said that the Nigerian security operatives were capable of effecting the release of his mother.
He described his mother as caring, innocent and loving, who does not deserve the current travails, while pledging his commitment to the development of the state.
Okah also expressed hope that Hansel would be released on humanitarian grounds.
"We are pleading with the boys to have the fear of God and release the old woman. The Bible teaches us to be respectful to the old. They should release her quickly," Okah told Daily Champion on phone yesterday from Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
On the return of his boss to Nigeria, he said "yes, my boss is back. In fact, she (Hansel) would soon be released. You know the speaker is back, he cannot afford to allow the old woman, to remain in that condition."
Daily Champion recalls that the Bayelsa State speaker who had travelled to South Africa to attend a Commonwealth Parliamentary conference along with some principal officers of the House was compelled to cut short his trip when the news of his mother's abduction reached him.
Madam Hansel was kidnapped last Tuesday (July 24) at Akaibiri in Ekpetiama, old Yenagoa local government area, by yet to be identified militants just as her whereabouts is still unknown. She has already spent five days with her captors.
Two Policemen Gunned Down in Lagos (Daily Champion)
Armed robbers yesterday killed two policemen at Oke-Afa, Isolo and carted away about N700,000.
The dead policemen were said to have accompanied a bullion van belonging to a second generation bank to collect money realized from weekend sales from a fast food eatery, Mr. Biggs at Jakande estate, Isolo, Lagos. They were said to be on their way back to Allen Avenue, Ikeja branch of the bank when they met their untimely death. The policemen whose names could not be ascertained as at press time were attached to Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) Centre police station, Ikeja.
According to reliable police sources, the robbers, who operated with a Mercedez Benz jeep were said to have trailed the bullion van and escort vehicle from Jakande estate near Isolo. The bandits eventually overtook the convoy of the van after descending Oke-Afa bridge, a boundary between Isolo and Ejigbo, blocked them with the jeep, and shot dead the policemen before carting away the safe containing the money.
Meanwhile, an eye witness, who pleaded anonymity, told Daily Champion that the owner of the jeep was earlier shot dead before the robbers snatched his vehicle.
A curious angle to the robbery, a police source told Daily Champion, was that the three policemen in the escort van led by a police sergeant could not give account of how the robbers made away with the safe containing the money.
Having succeeded unchallenged, the robbers were said to have shot their way through Okota Road to safety. They were also said to have thrown canisters of tear gas at passers-by who scampered for safety on hearing the gunshots from the rampaging robbers.
On reaching Isolo Divisional Police Headquarters, the robbers were said have shot into the station apparently to dare them.
The incident was said to have caused temporary traffic jam in the area as some motorists abandoned their vehicles on roads. Eye witness account said pedestrians were seen raising their hands as they were searched by policemen.
However, when Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) Mr. Olubode Ojajuni was contacted on phone for confirmation, he said he was yet to be briefed on the incident by the Divisional Police Officer of Isolo Divisional Police Headquarters. Meanwhile, police have accused the affected bank of nonchalance in taking the deceased cops to the mortuary. A policeman at Isolo who spoke under anonymity informed Daily Champion that the body of the late officers were left lying in the sun for about five hours due to non-release of money by the bank to pay for mortuary expenses. But the corporate affairs manager of the bank debunked the allegation, saying the deceased were immediately taken to the mortuary after the bank received information of the incident.
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