Bayelsa State Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee and Movement for Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), weekend, traded words over the ransom allegedly paid by former Minister of Energy, Edmund Daukoru ,on his wife, Gladys.
Daukoru, now the paramount ruler of Nembe Kingdom, paid for the release of his wife, taken by kidnappers in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
MEND said Daukoru paid $2.5 million to the kidnappers for the release of his wife.
In a press statement circulated on-line yesterday, MEND’s Spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, in the statement, wrote that, “MEND can confirm that the former Minister of State for Energy, Edmund Dakouru, paid the sum of $2.5million in cash to the kidnappers of his wife after they threatened to gang-rape her every day.”
But Chairman of the Peace Committee, Chief James Jephtha, said no ransom was paid.
Jephthah, who was the first person contacted by the criminals immediately after Gladys was abducted, said his committee secured the release without ransom payment.
Jephthah said she was released barely 78 hours after her abduction, on Friday, at about 2a.m., along Borokiri area of Port Hacourt.
He wondered how easy it would be for anyone to gather $2.5million within such a short time, adding that the MEND statement was false and that the committee secured her release with the assistance of militia groups involved in the peace accord reached with the Bayelsa State government and pressures mounted by the state government and the committee.
Jephathah, in a statement by the committee’s Media Officer, Alphine Ogor, said though the demand of the kidnappers was the unconditional withdrawal of soldiers from Nembe Area of Bayelsa State, the peace committee told them that their demand was misplaced, as the powers of state government and the peace committee does not extend to such demand.
“We secured her unconditional release and the claim that ransom was paid was false.”
“The Committee liaised with groups to dialogue extensively to secure an unconditional release. It was also discovered through conversation on telephone and in the area she was dropped off at the odd hours that most of the boys involved are from Nembe area of Bayelsa. For fear of being recognised by me, the boys dropped her off not far from where she was picked up,” he said.
Chief Jephathah dismissed the MEND’s claims saying that though the woman was psychologically stressed, she was in proper condition but decided not to say anything to anyone except her husband. “We kept close communication with the Former Minister until her release,” he said.