Gabriel Odu-Oji (middle) with friends, relatives etc presumably after the release by his captors last month |
Efio-Ita Nyok|14 June 2017
One of the numerous downsides of the Governor Ben Ayade administration of Cross River is security of lives and property.
It this publication, I have listed a near exhaustive list of kidnappings that have transpired in Cross River since the advent of this administration on May 2015 until now. Excerpt:
1. June 2015, Chief Librarian of FCE Obudu, Godwin Angiating, was kidnapped in Obudu.
2. June 2015, a four and half year old child was kidnapped at Awi, Akamkpa LGA.
3. June 2015, Another two and a half year old child was also kidnapped at Idang, Calabar South in the same month.
4. 9th of July 2015, a one year and nine months old baby was kidnapped at Ikot Abasi Obori Street, Ikot Ishi Town, Calabar.
5. September 2015, the younger brother of former DSS Director General, Ita Enang was kidnapped in Odukpani.
6. March 2016, a suspected ritual killer abducted a three year old girl in Bakassi.
7. April 2016, Bartholomew Effiong, was kidnapped and later rescued by the Police at Nassarawa Bacoco in the outskirts of Calabar.
8. May 2nd 2016, bandits invaded UNICAL staff quarters and kidnapped, Dr. Simon Ndifon, his wife and daughter.
9. May 2016, Mrs Anyocha, a Principal Lecturer of Igbo language at the Federal College of Education, Obudu was kidnapped.
10. May 2016, Pastor Walter Ibe, a Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science in the same school was also kidnapped
11. May 2016, a prominent Calabar business man, Chief Kenneth Okeanyawu Okpala, was kidnapped in Calabar and died after his release and payment of 10m ransom.
12. A nanny, Covenant Bassey, on May 13, 2016, kidnapped a one year, five months old baby she was nursing in Calabar and demanded ransom from the parents. She was later arrested by the Police.
14. June 2016, a brutal criminal ambush saw three foreign nationals working for Lafarge Cement, kidnapped in Akamkpa while one police man was shot dead.
15. July 2016, Senator Patrick Ani was kidnapped in Calabar.
16. In same week of July, Ededem Ita, a former Special Adviser on Labor Matters to Liyel Imoke, was kidnapped in Calabar.
17. October 2016, the wife of retired AIG Joseph Mbu, was kidnapped in Calabar. (Mind you, Mbu hails from Etung LGA in central Cross River in case you don’t know.)
18. October 2016, the Executive Secretary of Obudu Urban Development, Canice Atsu, was kidnapped in Obudu.
19. November 2016, a Catholic women leader, Bibiani Elemi-Edu, was kidnapped in Calabar.
20. February, 2017 the bandits turned their attention to the governor’s LGA, Obudu, and in quick succession, they made a huge harvest.
21. February 7, 2017, Jude Akwagiobe Agaba, popularly known as FG, a crippled petty business man was kidnapped in a remote village, Ohong, in Obudu and the family paid one million Naira to the criminals to regain his freedom.
22. Five days after, the owner of Simbless Pharmaceutical shop in Obudu simply identified as Simon but popularly known as ‘Jehovah’ was also kidnapped.
23. March 2017, George Imanyi, owner of Valley of Beracha hotel in Obudu was kidnapped.
24. March 9, 2017, a six year old child was also kidnapped in Obudu while the police arrested several suspects over the incidents.
25. March 2017 Then, UNICAL don, Prof. Edet Ekpeyong was also kidnapped in Calabar.
26. April 2017, 3 year old Ukame Ubong, was kidnapped in Calabar.
27. April 2017, the State Commissioner for Water Resources, Gabriel Odu-Oji was kidnapped from his girl friend’s house in Annantigha, Calabar South and kept for a whooping 31 days by the kidnappers before his release.
28. In June, former Information Commissioner, Youth and Sport Commissioner, CPS to governor Imoke and CEO of Cross River’s lone private FM station, Hit 95.9FM Calabar, Patrick Ugbe, was also kidnapped
29. June 2017, Peter Igbodo, a former House of Representatives member representing Ogoja/Yala federal constituency, was also kidnapped at a gym in Calabar and later released by his abductors.
Culled from: Agba Jalingo’s How The Ak-47 Economy Is Growing Muscles Under Governor Ayade.
Efio-Ita Nyok
Is a Blogger, the Editor & Publisher of NegroidHaven.org