•We don’t have that money, Community Cries Out, Appeals to Government for Intervention
From John Adams in Okpoga
The Gunmen who abducted five people on their way back from farm in Ingle Otanufe Community in Okpokwu local government area of Benue state have established contact with the community and they are demanding N10million ransom for their release.
This is coming barely three days after incident which has thrown the entire community into confusion since on Wednesday. It is the second of such kidnap incident in the area in the last two years.
But the community has cried out to the government for help over the faith of the abductees, saying that they cannot afford such outrageous demand by the gunmen, stressing that these are peasant farms struggling to make end meet with their little farm produce.
It could be recalled five people, including a husband and wife, were kidnapped from different locations on their way from their farms at about 6; 00pm on Wednesday.
The National Public Relation Officer (PRO), Otanufe National Community Development Association, Comrade Christopher Ijika who confirmed the demand by the gunmen to our correspondent on telephone, said the Bandits have called the family members of those abducted and have placed a ransom demand of N10million.
“Yes the people have called the family members yesterday (Friday) and they are demanding N10million before the victims can be released. So it has been established that the people were not killed as being contemplated by the community but abducted and are still alive.
“But this demand is very outrageous for the family or the community to afford. These are peasant farmers struggling to live so why should anybody add more pains to their frustration. It is quite unfortunate that this kind of evil could be visited on our community”, he lamented.
According to Ijika, “that is why we are strongly appealing to the government to come to the aid of the families and the entire community to ensure that the victims are freed unhurt as there no way that they can afford this outrageous amount they are demanding”.
He disclosed that about two years ago some people were abducted from the community by gunmen suspected to be Fulani Herdsmen in a similar circumstances, adding that the victims later regained their freedom after their families were made to pay between N200, 000 to N300, 000 ransoms.
In the latest incident, he said two of the victims whom he gave their names as Simon Okpe and Michael Adah were abducted from Otanufe while a husband and wife were kidnapped from Efonugu on their way from the farm.