Kidnapping: How criminals extort money from hapless victims’ families
Guardian newspaper
Friday 9 January 2009
ALTHOUGH it was conceived and employed by Niger Delta militants as a strategy to press home their demand for an equitable distribution of the nation’s resources, KELVIN EBIRI, HENDRIX OLIOMOGBE and ALEX OLISE, write that kidnapping has become a booming business in Nigeria, as criminals across the country, now use it to extort money from their hapless victims’ families.
VERY soon, Nigerians may have to be assessing themselves to determine their ransom value for their safety. Being poor has its own advantage after all; it makes one to have no ransom.
It is becoming apparent that people with high ransom value, the rich and the affluent, are no longer safe, due to the booming kidnapping business.
Evidently, the kidnapping sector of the Nigerian economy is gradually overtaking other sectors such as banking, oil and gas and telecommunication as it has become a money-spinning business that fetches professionals in the sector, millions within a very short time as recent events in the southern part of the country have shown.
Specifically, the militants of Niger Delta who had transformed from armed agitators for liberty and resource control into a deadly criminals deploying their wits and arms in the direction of kidnapping, do not just randomly select their victims or customers.
They first weigh the ransom valuation options of their targets before seeking them out. What this means is that the man in the streets with low ransom value, has been spared the agony of being kidnapped
It is difficult to say how much these kidnappers have extorted from their hapless victims, but police sources claim that no fewer than 500 people have fallen to their nefarious traps. In fact more than 200 foreigners have been seized in the Niger Delta since early 2006.
Since January 2008, over 44 foreign National oil workers or businesspeople in parts of the Niger Delta region have been kidnapped from off-shore and land-based oil facilities, residential compounds, and public roadways.
Initially, the targets were expatriate oil workers and the victims were usually released scot-free once the kidnappers made their point or were able to negotiate a deal with government. But the picture has changed. In most parts of the Eastern states, the fear of kidnappers is the beginning of wisdom.
When in 2006, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) began the abduction of expatriate oil workers, their primary motive was to attract global attention deprivation, poverty and looming ecological disaster in the Niger Delta.
The first such incident actually was on September 16, 2005 when a group called the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) threatened to attack British nationals and shut oil facilities in the Niger Delta if the British police failed to release former Bayelsa State governor, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, who was arrested in London on money laundering offences.
Pathetically, criminal gangs marauding as freedom fighters, some from the Niger Delta and other parts of the country have commercialised and turned it into a thriving multi million Naira business.
In Rivers State, which has witnessed more kidnapping cases in the past one year, its Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, has succinctly described this dastardly act of kidnapping as an evolving criminal economy which has no link whatsoever with the agitation for a better deal for the people of the region.
In Imo state, a six-month-old baby was snatched from her mother in Owerri, Imo State by hoodlums, who later demanded a N2 million ransom for his release. The abductors were, however, apprehended 10 days later by the police when they went to withdraw the money paid into an account in a bank in Enugu, which they had given to the child’s parents.
Also in Imo, kidnappers of a traditional ruler were said to have demanded a N10 million ransom. But that was later reduced to N200, 000.
There was also the story of a young lady in the same state, who arranged for her own kidnap to extort money from her father. Reports had it that the business went burst after the kidnappers allegedly cheated her out of her own share of the loot. Kidnapping recorded a major casualty in February. One Mr Njo Amadi, abducted at Rumuolumeni, died in the hands of his captors.
On July, the chairman of Ikosi-Ejuirin Local Council Development Area (LCDA) in Lagos State, Chief Ganiyu Akintola was abducted from his home around 11.30 p.m. and taken away in a speedboat. The elderly man was released a few days later.
Similarly, suspected kidnappers, pretending to be commercial motorcyclists almost successfully kidnapped three male adults along Water View Street in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Just recently, 82-year-old Pa Jacob Odivwri Edjesa, father of Eddy Odivwri, former Editorial Page Editor, and now member, Editorial Board of THISDAY Newspaper was kidnapped in controversial circumstances at Emonu-Orogun, in Ughelli North Council of Delta.
His abductors had demanded that MTN recharge cards worth N20, 000 be sent to them before negotiation over his release could commence and left an MTN number with which they could be reached.
The old man was discovered dead during the week, even after the cards had been sent to then and they had demanded for a ransom.
These illustrate how the bad business has been growing in Nigeria, the effects of which are enormous.
In the face of growing insecurity, companies trying to keep fearful staff from fleeing are paying more for insurance, salaries, perks and housing.
Since the commercialization of kidnapping, living in Port Harcourt and its suburbs, has become a nightmare to the families of politicians and oil workers who have become the primary target of those in the kidnapping enterprise.
Last year January, four unknown gunmen stormed Ogbogu community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area and kidnapped a fifteen-year-old son of the then secretary to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Ogorchukwu Orisa Onyiri.
After they had vanished to unknown destination, the bandits called the teenager’s father to demand for N60m (sixty million Naira) ransom.
Barely a month after, scores of rampaging gunmen at about 2:00am invaded the residence of an oil magnate, Chairman of Moni-Pulo, Chief Olu B. Lulu-Briggs, residence at Igbodo Street in Old Government Residential Area (GRA), Port Harcourt and kidnapped his wife, Mrs. Seinye Lulu- Briggs.
Similarly fate befell the Divisional Manager ,Public Affairs, of Nigeria Agip Oil Company (NAOC), Mr. Naaman Dienye.
Dienye was seized from his car and his driver shot as he was about leaving his house at NTA/Mgbuoba Road, to work. Though no group claimed responsibility for his abduction, the Joint Revolutionary Council (JRC) had a few days before the incident, accused oil companies including Agip , Shell, and Chevron of being part of the grand conspiracy that culminated in the arrest and extradition of presumed MEND leader, Henry Okah, who is now standing trial for treason and other offences.
Another victim, Mrs. Ibidabo Nkwo, a staff of French multinational, Total and whose husband is Manager of Training Services of same firm, was kidnapped at about 8.30pm one Monday night after an evening church services.
The kidnappers who carefully target their victims, early last year abducted, Mr. Eni Odili, a nephew to the former governor of Rivers State, Dr. Peter Odili. Eni who was a personal assistant to ousted Rivers State governor, Celestine Omehia, was snatched from his car on his way back from church. His captors later called to demand for N50million ransom from his family.
One of the kidnapped cases that triggered public outrage is that of eight year-old Wisdom Nwuzi and his five year old brother Allwell, who were taken from their car on their way to school in Port Harcourt.
The children’s father, Mr. Ephraim Nwuzi, who was former Etche Local Government Area Chairman, was asked to pay N40million to secure the release of his children. Though The Guardian could not ascertain if he actually paid the same amount, it however confirmed that the bandits swindled his wife of N1.5million.
Rivers State Governor, who was visibly touched said: “Those who take children hostage have no conscience; they have no morals and so should be condemned by all, including the mass media which carries blazing headlines that sometimes extol their anti-social activities.”
In Enugu State,on December 1, Dr. Francis Edemobi, younger brother of now Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili was abducted from his office in Enugu by unknown gunmen.
Although it was reported that the abductors initially demanded a N30 million ransom and later upped it to N50 million, Edemobi was rescued four days after by the police in Enugu, following a tip off by some unidentified persons, said to have noticed an unusual movement around the Ebeano tunnel in Ogui area of the coal city, where he was kept.
Kidnapping is not only limited to land. marauding bandits recently kidnapped 5 Nigerian crewmen and captured barge and its tug conveying building materials belonging to German construction firm, Julius Berger in Rivers State.
The criminals threatened to blow up the barge and kill the crew members held hostage unless they are paid the sum of N20million as ransom. The kidnappers had initially taken six persons on board the tugboats hostage, but they later freed one of them and asked him to relay their N20 million demand to his employee.
Similarly, suspected sea pirates hijacked a vessel belonging to an American multinational oil company, Chevron and took two expatriates and nine Nigerian oil workers hostage. The pirates demanded for a N30million ransom.
The Chervon vessel ‘Lourdes Tide’ had a Portuguese, a Ukrainian and nine Nigerians on board when it was hijacked. the vessel which ferries supplies for Chevron, set sail from the Onne Port near Port Harcourt en route Escravos, when it was attacked.
March 2008, would remain indelible in the minds of the family of a member of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Mr. Frankline Otele, whose wife Mrs. Dorathy Otele, was kidnapped by six gunmen who disguised as policemen. The kidnappers were to demand for N400million ransom which was later reduced to N200 million.
The wife of Honourable Asita O. Asita, representing Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni and Ahoada West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Asita, was also a victim of kidnap.
She was taken hostage by four unidentified gunmen who intercepted her husbands’ car as they were driving to church one Sunday morning. The kidnappers demanded N50million ransom.
Similarly, two toddlers, Deborah and Francis Uduak, children of Mr.Sunday Uduak,an executive officer of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, were kidnapped and a ransom of N10million placed on them.
Perhaps one classic case of commercialization of kidnapping was that of Mrs. Margret Idisi, wife of the Chief Executive Officer of an indigenous oil and gas company, Lonestar Group, Chief Humphrey Idisi.
Scores of armed bandits invaded the residence of the oil mogul at Rumukwurushi, a suburb of Port Harcourt, about 2:30am and used explosives suspected to be dynamite to force the house open.
After sporadic shooting that lasted over one hour, they succeed in kidnapping Mrs. Idis. They were to call later called to demand for N1billion as ransom. The rasom was later reduced to N500million. It was not clear whether the said amount was paid before she secured her release
The list keep increasing by the day.
The 75 year old literary icon and Chairman of Rivers State Scholarship Board, Captain Elechi Amadi, appears to be latest victim.
The author who was released on Tuesday evening by his captors, who demanded for N300million ransom, described his experience as horrifying.
He said: “They blindfolded me. And then drove off into bush where I passed the night. It was a marshy area. I slept on that marshy floor. The next day, we started negotiating. They said I should just give them N300million as they don’t want to kill me. They just wanted money.”
“It was one of the worst nights I have ever spent. it was one of the worst night even though, I have been in the army, I have been a surveyor , I have spent night in the open, in the bush. But this particular one was one of the worst nights. It was a marshy ground. Imagine sleeping on the marshy ground and I was blindfolded from the time I was abducted, I was blinded until I was released. I did not know where I was. So it was the worst night I have ever spent” he said.
Not perturbed by Amadi’s insistence that he does not have the N300million, the gunmen asked him to put a call across to the Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, who they described as his friend to release the funds.
I told them:” You came to my house, didn’t you?, they said yes. You saw the house, what type of a house, a small bungalow in the bush. Did you see a big wall? They said no. did you see barbwire ? Did you see security gate and all that, they said no. did you see big cars in the place, they said no. So I said if I were a millionaire, you would have seen all those things. So you have come to the wrong person.”
He continued, “If you want money, I don’t have it. I cannot give what I don’t have. But they said you are the chairman of the scholarship board and you should have money. They said as chairman of scholarship board, you get money and pay to students. I said just because I am the chairman of scholarship board does not mean I am rich.”
“They said professor, you are an innocent man. we are going to release you. So by 6:30pm (Tuesday) they released me in the bush and they just disappeared. So I have to find my way. I walked for about five miles in the bush before I came to a Shell location where my friends have been driving around searching for me.”
From the brazen assault and kidnap of the 70 year old father of the Secretary to the Delta State Government, Chief Arthur Okonkwa last July by four gun totting hoodlums at his home in Boji-Boji Owa, Ika North East Council of the state to the kidnap of another septuagenarian, Mrs. Evelyn Chima in Illah, near Asaba, the Delta State capital on September 24, 2008 to the abduction of Dr. John Osuyali, the former personal physician to former Governor James Ibori, there is no doubt that the state has certainly had its own fair share of the deadly business.
Okonkwa was to spend five harrowing days in the den of the kidnappers who reportedly demanded a huge amount of money before they could let go of their quarry.
The heavily armed gun men had stormed the residence of Okowa, father of Dr. Ifeanyi Okonkwa, the Secretary to the State Government at Amokwu Street, off Efeizomor road at about 11 am when most the neighbours were still in church for Sunday service. _The elder Okonkwa had just returned from an early morning service at the local Anglican Church at about 10:30am and was having a rest in his bed room when he was kidnapped
_The old man would rather wax philosophical instead of narrating his experience during incarceration: “I meet Jesus Christ in the den of my abductors, it is by the grace of God that I am out. Do you know God, most of us are far away from God, there is too much evil in our society, God in his infinite mercy brought me out.To God be the glory.”__
_Dr. John Osuyali was the personal physician to ex-Governor James Ibori of Delta State and only got a job at SACA when Ibori’s tenure expired on May 29 2007._As a member of the Delta State Action Committee on Aids (SACA), Dr. Osuyali had travelled to Cross River state in the volatile Niger Delta region of the country on November 11._
The hoodlums had demanded for a whopping ransom of five million Naira before they could allow him to breathe the sweet air of liberty. He said that they took him to the market town of Aba, Abia State where they released him after the payment of the ransom.
As for Mrs. Evelyn Chima, a 74 year old widow who was reportedly kidnapped at Illah Oshimili South Local Council of Delta state last September, she is yet to be freed while the police are yet to apprehend her abductors who are demanding for 7.5 million dollars before letting go of their quarry.
The President of Port Harcourt Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture (PHCCIMA) Mr. Billy Gillis-Harry, told The Guardian that the security situation in the state characterised by kidnapping of oil workers has impacted negatively on the economic fortune of every business particularly in Port Harcourt.
According to him, “the scope is very large and frustrating because businesses are winding down and people are leaving the city today. So far about 1700 companies have left, that was about three weeks before I travelled. I don’t know what must have happened today.”
The Christian Association of Nigeria,(CAN) South-South zone has also joined in condemning the recent spates of kidnapping in the Niger Delta.
CAN (South- South) Chairman, Geoffrey Numbere, recalled that hostage taking was a tactics used by militants to get the attention of the world on the sufferings of the Niger Delta people, but regretted that criminals have diverted the attention to greed for quick money.
“Our association views with dismay that there is now a local content militancy, hostage taking and payment of ransom by innocent Nigerian men, women and children including nursing mothers and their babies” he said.
Governor Amaechi has declared that his administration will not succumb to the ransom demand of the bandits who wilfully abduct others.
As deterrent to suspected kidnappers, the governor said he will order the demolition of a property purported built by any known kidnap kingpin.
He said, “We would no longer be content with responding to kidnap cases. We would track down suspected kidnappers, bring them in for questioning, drag them to court and jail them”.
Governor Amaechi said the patience of law abiding Rivers people is being pushed to the limit and government cannot continue to allow people turn the state to a den of kidnappers who prey on unsuspecting law abiding citizens, especially toddlers.
He said, “we have directed law enforcement agencies to step up their operations. We must get these persons, some of whom are from outside Rivers State to understand that it is no longer business as usual. how can any one justify or rationalize the taking of children as hostages?”
Adding that “those who take children hostage have no conscience; they have no morals and so should be condemned by all, including the mass media which carries blazing headlines that sometimes extol their anti-social activities”.
The Rivers State House of Assembly has already commenced debate on a bill seeking to prohibit the act of kidnapping in the state by instituting life imprisonment for offenders.
A lawmaker representing Emohua Constituency, Chidi Lloyd, who presented the bill, stated that for the past two years, the economy of the state has depreciated due to the menace of kidnapping.
He stressed that kidnapping which has resulted in scores of expatriates leaving Port Harcourt, has increased the unemployment situation in the state.
The bill, according to him, would prescribe punishment for any person who kidnaps or abducts or by any other means of instilling fear, or tricks, takes another persons with intent to demand ransom or compel another to do anything against his or her will. Such an offender is liable on conviction to life imprisonment without an option of fine.
The bill also seeks to provide life imprisonment as punishment for any person who aids or abets another to commit the act of kidnapping or abduction while a corporate body which gets involved in the act through connivance or neglect on the part of a director, manager, secretary or other similar officers, would pay the sum of N50 million as a fine.
The bill also makes it an offence for any person who permits his or her premises, building or place occupied by him or her which he or she has control over for purposes of keeping a kidnapped person. Such a person is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years without an option of fine.
As parts of effort to rid Okrika of the menance of kidnapping and other acts of banditary , security agents recently arrested and arraigned the monarch of Konju-Okirika, HRM Captain Nemi Iyalla Oputibeya X, Chief Stephen Nonju Opungiriko and Nathan Sotonye Alabo, before a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court, for allegedly sponsorship of kidnapping and participating in the activities of Icelanders.
King Opungiriko whose residence at Okochiri, was raided by the JTF, when they went in search of Tom Ateke, is facing a five count charge of belonging to and participating in the activities of secret cult contrary to section 516(A)(a) of the Criminal Code of Rivers State, Cap 37 Laws of Rivers State (No.6 of 2004).
Inspector general of Police Mr Mike Okiro said the series of kidnapping would not stop overnight as the force do not have the facility to immediately halt the menace. He complained that telephone service providers have refused to make available to the police their call log or suspicious calls.
He said; “Most investigations into criminal cases were frustrated due to the refusal of service providers to make their call logs available to the police as they always demand for a court order to that effect.”
He argued that given the peculiar and patriotic services rendered by the police “you cannot get a court order in an emergency situation like investigation which requires utmost dispatch.”
The IG, lamented that some operational laws in Nigeria are hampering the work of the police and called for a law that would mandate the service providers not only to assist the police with their call logs during investigations, but also make it mandatory for every subscriber to be properly registered.
Okiro, appealed to Nigerians to refuse to pay ransom to kidnappers as according to him, doing so would discourage the act in the region.
His words: “You see, we cannot stop them from kidnapping from now. The facilities are not there yet. We are here to investigate these atrocities. Once somebody carries out a kidnap we are able to arrest him, prosecute and punish them, then others will learn a lesson. Bt if not so, it becomes difficult.
“In as much as we cannot provide policemen for every individual, we must be given the wherewithal to be able to investigate anybody who kidnaps a person and ask for ransom.
The police boss further stated that the legal department of the force is working closely with National Assembly to sponsor a bill to that effect.
