Apparently determined to make quick money, the abductors of the Secretary to the Kaduna State Government (SSG), Mr. Waje Yayok, have revised the ransom downward from N40 million to N15 million.
A top public official of the state, who confirmed this development to THISDAY, said the government had been in contact with the kidnappers since the SSG went missing Monday night.
The source disclosed that they had threatened to kill Yayok if the money was not paid within 24 hours and the government might have agreed to the deal.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police Tambari Mohammed has formally declared Yayok missing, promising that he will be found within the next 24 hours.
Mohammed had earlier said that Yayok would only be declared missing after 48 hours (yesterday).
He told reporters at a briefing in the press chamber of the state Government House that the SSG was indeed held hostage at an unknown destination, contrary to their official stance that he was in an area in Southern Kaduna where there is no network coverage.
Flanked by the Special Adviser to Governor Namadi Sambo on Media and Public Affairs, Sani Umar, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) Ghazali Mohammed, the commissioner said all security agencies within and outside the state are working hard to locate Yayok.
Umar denied reports by some newspapers that the abducted SSG was in possession of a large sum of money when he went to Southern Kaduna on official assignment.
“I want to completely deny the report which says that the SSG was sent to the Southern part of the state on official assignment with large sum of money.
“It is not true and I did not say anything like that to any journalist when I met with them in my office. He was sent to the Southern part but not with lots of money,” he stated.
Asked whether the state would pay the N40 million ransom earlier demanded, the commissioner of police did not answer the question directly.
“We have a way of dealing with kidnappers. This is not the first time people are being kidnapped. We have our special ways of dealing with them. They can ask for anything, but sometimes, you can negotiate with them and in the process, you can reach an agreeable situation and a deal is struck.
“Sometimes, we can use such demand to get to the root of the matter. Sometimes it can also fail. However, we will not answer any question that is going to pre-empt our action. We have both overt and covert actions that have been laid on ground and we are not going to do anything that will jeopardize that,” he said.
When asked if the police are working with the family of the SSG to resolve the matter, Mohammed said: “Even the families are divided. You have the wife who is living here (Kaduna) and you have the brothers who are living back in his local government (Kaura). I have read from the papers too that the kidnappers have been talking to them. They have not been talking to me in any way. But I have read on the papers that they have been talking to the family both here and in Kaura.”
The police insisted that the SSG was in the Southern part of the state on official assignment when he went missing. But both the state government and the police have refused to disclose the nature of the assignment or the specific place he was sent to.
Their official statements also go contrary to what the SSG’s family told journalists. The family said Yayok left home around 8pm to distribute cards for his daughter’s wedding and never came back.
When THISDAY contacted a family member in Manchok in Kaura Local Government on phone, he confirmed the family’s statements. According to the source, “there is no way that oga will come home and I will not know because we stayed in the same house.”
Meanwhile, a group of people were seen discussing in hushed tones at the SSG’s office while more continued to gather at his residence in Barnawa. An attempt to get a family member to speak on record was not possible.
One of them who does not want his name in print said: “We have been told by the police and the state government not to speak publicly about this issue to anybody, especially journalists. They told us that they are handling the issue and it will soon be resolved. But I can tell you that this issue has completely disrupted every member of the family. Our concern is even great because he (SSG) has not been feeling well.”
THISDAY visited Kenfelli Hotel in Barnawa where it was alleged that the SSG was sighted shortly before the abduction. The hotel manager was not around but someone there denied that the SSG came there to “relax”.
This is the second high profile case of kidnapping in the state. About five months ago, a Canadian woman, Mrs. Ann Mulligan, was abducted. A Rotarian, Mulligan was in Kaduna on an exchange programme. Similarly, the sum of N20 million was demanded but she was released after two weeks.
The kidnappers have since been arraigned at a magistrate court.
Sep242009