Following the abduction of Alhaji Mustapha Gadobe, a former chairman of Abadam local council of Borno state, on Friday by unknown gunmen, DailyPost has gathered that the kidnappers who had earlier demanded N50 million from the family had channelled their demands to the state government, asking the government to pay the N50 million to save Gadobe. This was disclosed to DailyPost by top government officials in the state.
Gadobe was reportedly kidnapped near Maiduguri, a town called Wadiya by some gunmen who hurriedly bundled him into his Toyota FJ Cruiser and drove off to yet to be identified location.
DailyPost can reliably report that a serving member of Borno state house of Assembly is currently handling the negotiation between the kidnappers and Borno state government.
A top political appointee informed newsmen in confidence that the abductors had threatened to terminate the life of their hostage when the said mediator offered a N3 million cash payment as against the N50 million earlier demanded.
‘We learnt that the family members of the former council chairman and the mediator had on Saturday offered to pay N3 million, an offer that was said to have vexed the kidnappers who vowed to kill Gadobe should such ridiculous amount be mentioned again’, said the source.
DailyPost further learnt from the same source that another offer of N10 million was yesterday advanced to the abductors which was still turned down.
A top official of the SSS confirmed the abduction to newsmen on phone but declined giving details of steps being taken so far to rescue the kidnapped politician.
DailyPost had yesterday gathered from an impeccable government source that a local grassroots politician, names withheld, claimed to have spotted an FJ Cruiser at a village around Bama and Kalabalge border areas of Borno state.
‘Though the claims have not been verified yet, but the man who called said they saw Gadobe’s car somewhere near Gulumba town when those driving the car stopped to change their punctured tire. The man who is a vulcaniser said he saw the shape of a bundled person in the boot of the vehicle covered by heavy clothes, and he was sure the vehicle belongs to Gadobe because the car is not that common in Borno state’, the source said.
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