The Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Mr. Michael Mgbasia has cried out pleading with the abductors of his father, Wellington, to show mercy and release him unconditionally.
Wellington Mgbasia was abducted from his residence three weeks ago by armed men and whisked to an unknown destination.
The kidnappers were said to have contacted the family and demanded over N200million before finally settling for N70 million at their last call.
A disturbed Sagbama Local Government Chairman, Michael Mgbasia, in an interview with reporters on Wednesday, said there was no way the family could raise the ransom money and there was nobody they can run to for help.
He pleaded with the kidnappers to have mercy on the family and release the aged father whose health, he said, might be in danger.
“They have contacted the family and asked us to pay N70m. Where would I get such amount of money even if I spend 10 years as Local government chairman? Where can I get such money in a system like this where everything is dry?
“I am pleading with the kidnappers to release my father. We are all Ijaw people, I plead with them to release my father unconditionally to me. He is 70-years-old and having leg pains.“ He pleaded.
Mgbasia, who expressed sadness that it was his kinsmen in Ijaw land that were behind the kidnap, lamented that insecurity has taken over Sagbama local government with rampant cases of kidnapping and other security concerns.
He said security operatives have been overwhelmed with the sophisticated weapons kidnappers and other criminal elements have in their possession.
“It is difficult for me to bear that my father was kidnapped by my own people. If the abductors are from outside, it would be difficult for them to take him out of the community.
“It is disheartening and it is not a good thing to experience the kidnap of one’s father or mother. Even my SA on treasury matters his mother-in-law was kidnapped. Kidnap is becoming rampant and it is not good.
“We thought we have gone past it but it is starting all over all again. Bayelsans and Ijaw leaders should come out to fight against kidnapping so that we may have peace.
“These kidnappers are fully armed than the security men. 20 security operatives cannot face two of them because they are covered with bullets. We would know what to do to put the security in proper shape.”
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