Three days into the abduction of the Niger State Information Commissioner, Alhaji Muhammad Sani Idris, his whereabouts remains unknown even as rescue operation by security agencies and locals within his community is said to have intensified, Daily Trust gathered.
Family sources, who spoke to Daily Trust last night, preferring not to be named, disclosed that solders, police, vigilante, and hunters groups have been combing the bushes within Tafa, and areas that cross into Kaduna State as well as the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Daily Trust reports that the commissioner was abducted in the early hours of Monday from his residence in Babban-Tunga community where hails from, by the gunmen numbering twenty.
His second wife who was with him at the moment, was reportedly been tormented along with her new born baby by the bandits who took the possession of their mobile phones.
Although they earlier made to go with the wife and baby, they later changed their mind and whisked only the commissioner away, according to family sources.
The kidnappers were said to have contacted family members demanding the sum of N500 million as ransom before releasing the Commissioner but by Thursday they were yet to make further contacts with the family.
Daily Trust also learnt that, the sick mother of the commissioner who lived in his family home within the community was taken to a hospital in the late hours of the day, after her condition deteriorated as a result of shock.
“I don’t think she would be brought back here, even if she is discharged from hospital, one of the close associates of the commissioner told our reporter, last night.
Efforts to ascertain if the bandits were ready for further negotiations with the family members about the ransom amount were unsuccessful as family sources said that, there was no communication with the bandits, since their earlier stand on N500million ransom.
Although a marathon security meeting was said to have been convened after the incident at Government House Minna, the Niger state government and the State Police command were yet to make any further comment on the commissioner’s abduction.
Daily Trust also gathered that the state government has insisted on the policy of not paying ransom for the freedom of kidnapped victims since it has been on before now, they won’t change it to secure the commissioner’s release.
A said the state government said it conscience won’t let it rest if they pay ransom for the release of the Commissioner from the state purse when they didn’t pay for the Tegina children.
Daily Trust also learnt that a third party is already involved in negotiating for the commissioner’s release while his close allies are already suspecting the informant who sold him out but they don’t have enough evidence against the person.
