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Gunmen, who abducted a Permanent Secretary in Enugu State, Mr Augustine Udeh, yesterday allegedly established contact with his family, demanding N50m ransom.
Udeh, who serves in the state Ministry of Lands, was kidnapped on Sunday evening between Isuawa and the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) Ituku-Ozalla, along the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.
A source said the incident happened at about 5.30pm, close to Afor Ituku, some meters away from a military checkpoint.
He said that Elder Julius Okolo, who also ran into the daredevils that time, narrowly escaped but the permanent secretary was not lucky and was abducted.
It was gathered that several vehicles that encountered them were riddled with bullets before they abducted Udeh, whose faulty Toyota Highlander SUV was reportedly being towed.
A retired permanent secretary, who passed the place just as the criminals took over the highway, narrated how God saved him and his wife there.
The senior citizen, who preferred to be anonymous, said: “God saved me and my wife too from the same spot shortly before the incident. Few seconds after we passed, my cousin and the occupants of his vehicle and a Toyota Highlander in tow came under barrage of firepower from the evil men. His vehicle was riddled with bullets but he managed to pull through and escaped unhurt. Later, I got to know that the occupant of the Toyota Highlander was not lucky as he was kidnapped and his vehicle riddled with bullets parked at the spot. I never knew that it was my brother perm sec that was the victim. God will surely rescue him from these evil men unhurt.”
