Kidnappers of Augusta Douglas-Ayam, elder sister to the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Research, Documentation and Strategy, Mr. Oronto Douglas, on Thursday opened communication with the family. Read more
A family source told our correspondent that Douglas-Ayam’s captors had contacted her husband and demanded N500m to free the 48-year-old woman.
A nine-man gang, dressed in military uniform, abducted Douglas-Ayam on Monday night at her shop in Ogbia town, headquarters of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, before the gunmen sped away with her in a speedboat stationed at Ogbia waterside.
But four days after keeping the family in suspense, the kidnappers contacted the woman’s husband and asked for N500m.
The source, who pleaded anonymity, said efforts by the family to contact the kidnappers again through the number they used to call the husband had not been successful.
Another family source said the amount the kidnappers demanded was outrageous.
He said, “We tried to call the number they used in calling the husband but it did not go through. The amount they asked for is outrageous. Where do they expect us to get that kind of money?
“I told them that such money could only be sourced from the Central Bank.”
He, however, refused to give further details on the telephone conversation the husband had with the kidnappers.
The family had, in a statement on Wednesday, lamented that Douglas-Ayam’s kidnap was giving them concern because of her poor state of health.
Head of the Douglas family, Romeo, who signed the statement, appealed to the kidnappers to release her unconditionally on humanitarian grounds.
Romeo appealed to them not to harm her, but to give her care and respect a human being deserved.
He said the family was confident the security agencies would handle the incident professionally and uncover the motive behind the abduction of the victim.
He said, “Douglas-Ayam had just visited the hospital few days back over her health challenges. The family, therefore, appeal to the kidnappers to release her unconditionally based on humanitarian ground.
“We believe that the security agents are up to the task and we are counting on their expertise. We appeal to members of the public to avail the security agencies and the family of any information that they may have concerning this matter.”
But the spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Mr. Alex Akhigbe, denied knowledge of the ransom demand.
When asked the last time the police spoke with the Douglas family over the incident, Akhigbe said, “I would not know because apart from the anti-kidnap unit, other squads are also involved in the search-and-rescue mission.”
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta on Thursday claimed it had made accidental contact with Douglas-Ayam’s kidnappers.
In a statement signed by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, the statement read, “The gang in addition to seeking a ransom wants to use the kidnap to express their disgust at ostentatious display of wealth witnessed during the burial of Pa Douglas.
“This includes the abuse of military helicopters, which were used as a social shuttle service to ferry guests when such could have been put to better use.
“As we do not wish to be dragged into playing the role of an intermediary with kidnappers, we have declined their request to get involved based on principles.”
MEND however, appealed to Douglas- Ayam’s kidnappers to release the victim who was last seen looking healthy “but harassed and unharmed ,at the earliest.”
BY CHUKWUDI AKASIKE AND SIMON UTEBOR
CULLED FROM THE PUNCH NEWSPAPER
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