KIDNAPPERS OF PRESIDENT DEMAND N500m RANSOM

Kidnappers of president’s aide’s sister demand N500m ransom

Seventy-two hours after the kidnap of Mrs Augusta Douglas Ayam, elder sister of Mr. Oronto Douglas, Special Adviser to the President on Research and Documentation, her abductors have contacted the family and demanded N500 million as ransom.

This is coming at a time when the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) has appealed to the kidnappers to release their victim, revealing that it had made contacts with them.
According to a family source, the kidnappers called early yesterday and introduced themselves as the people holding Mrs. Ayam.
The source said they demanded a ransom of N500 million to be paid before today, boasting that they were not willing to negotiate.
The family member told Daily Sun that immediately the kidnappers called and made their demands, they switched off the phone as all attempts to reach, to know about the health of Mrs. Ayam proved abortive.
The source added that the family members have contacted security agencies over the new development, as they not willing to pay ransom.
“They contacted us this morning (yesterday) and asked for a ransom of N500 million. It is laughable because we don’t even have that kind of money. They told us to pay before Friday (today), as they would not negotiate. We have already contacted security agencies to intimate them about the development.”
The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Alex Akhigbe, who confirmed that the demand of N500 million had been made, said no ransom would be paid to secure the freedom of Mrs. Augusta.
“Yes I have just heard that the demand of N500 million has been made.  The family does not have that money and of course, the Bayelsa State Police Command would not allow any ransom to be paid to those bad boys. We have our strategy and we are on their trail. Our ultimate goal is to secure her freedom and arrest the kidnappers,” he said.
A reliable security source said investigation into the incident was well advanced and some headway had been made.
Also the spokesman of the Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, Lt Col Onyema Nwachukwu, said the JTF was on top of the search for the kidnappers in the creeks.
According to him, the search has been intensified in the last 24 hours, as the gunboats have penetrated the creeks.
He expressed confidence that the woman would soon be rescued and her abductors arrested without payment of any ransom.
Meanwhile, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has appealed to the kidnappers to release Mrs. Ayam.
MEND, in a statement by Jomo Gbomo, said it had established contact with the abductors. According to the group, the abductors were aggrieved over certain issues during the burial of Oronto Douglas’ father last year.
MEND said it had declined to act as intermediary between the kidnappers and the family and pleaded with the abductors to release the woman.
The statement reads in part: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has made accidental contact with the abductors of the sister of Mr. Oronto Douglas, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Research and Strategy.
“The gang, in addition to seeking ransom wants to use the kidnap to express their disgust due to the ostentation they witnessed during the burial of Pa Douglas, which included the abuse of military helicopters, which were used as a social shuttle service to ferry guests, when such could have been put to better use. As we do not wish to be dragged into playing the role of an intermediary with kidnapers, we have declined their request to get involved based on principles.
“We however appealed to them to release the victim who was last seen looking well but harassed unharmed at the earliest.”