EXCLUSIVE: Abductors of Nigerian Minister demand N200 million ransom.
bductors of a former Minister, Iyabo Anisulowo, have demanded the payment of N200 million as ransom for her release, sources informed of the investigation have told PREMIUM TIMES.
The former minister was kidnapped on Wednesday along Sawonjo/Iganokoto road in Yewa area of her home state of Ogun.
Her abductors contacted the family by phone on Friday night demanding the payment.
They made the phone call using the former minister’s mobile phone number, our sources said.
The family were negotiating with the unnamed callers at the time of this report.
The police in Ogun said they were conducting forensic investigation into the kidnap following the recovery of the victim’s car and other belongings. Mrs. Anisulowo was taken away by her abductors in her SUV.
Meanwhile, the Ogun State commissioner of police, Abdulmajid Ali, and some other senior officers of the command have relocated to Ilaro, Ogun State, for the rescue operation.
The spokesperson for the command, Muyiwa Adejobi, assured that the victim would be rescued alive.
“The command wishes to inform the general public that the police have some clues as the Toyota SUV of the victim, with Reg No Lagos LSD 115 AM, and some items have been recovered, and this will definitely catalyse the forensic investigation into the matter and immediate rescue of the victim,” Mr. Adejobi said in a statement on Friday.
He added that the commissioner of police, deputy commissioner of police in Department of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence, assistant commissioner of police in Operations, officers in charge of Special Anti-Robbery and the Kidnapping Squads, officers and men of the State Intelligence Bureau and Police Mobile Force, ICT Experts, have been on their toes and working assiduously to make sure the victim is rescued unhurt and the perpetrators are apprehended.
“The Command detectives are also presently working with other security agencies and special teams from the office of the Inspector General of Police, Force Headquarters, Abuja to recue Senator Iyabo Anisulowo without delay,” the statement emphasised.
“In addition, in the spirit of adequate supervision, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2 Command, AIG Bala Hassan, visited the scene of crime on Thursday and met with the officers and men detailed for the operations on the adopted strategies.”