Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) – The abductors of a man who has been described variously as President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin, uncle and adopted father are insisting on their earlier demand of 500 million naira (US$2.9 million) before he can be released, the local Punch newspaper reported Sunday.
Chief Inengite Nitabai, 70, was abducted from his residence by gunmen last Sunday in the President’s home town of Otuoke in the oil-producing Niger Delta region.
On Friday, the kidnappers contacted the family to issue their ransom demand. The family has been quoted as saying it does not have that amount of money.
“The amount the kidnappers are demanding is too high. Where do they expect us to raise such money?” an unnamed child of Chief Nitabai was quoted as saying.
The abductors have threatened to kill Nitabai if the family failed to produce the money as soon as possible.
Kidnapping for ransom, targeting the rich as well as politicians and their family members, is rampant in Nigeria.
Abducted persons are usually freed unharmed after the payment of ransom, but such payments are rarely publicly admitted.
On a few occasion, abducted persons have been killed even after ransom payment.
