Kidnappers insist on N200m ransom for abducted Imo monarch

The family, community, associates and friends of the kidnapped traditional ruler of Isiala Umudi in Imo State, Eze Joel Ndenkwo, are to cough the the mouthwatering sum of N200m ransom for his release.

The kidnappers since making this demand last Sunday, have refused to shift any any grounds, insisting that the monarch was a rich businessman.

It will be recalled that Ndenkwo was abducted in front of his office at the business studded Tetlow Road in Owerri, at about 7pm, last Friday.

An eyewitness narrated that the traditional ruler’s monarch’s kidnappers, after effortlessly abducting him, had brutally locked him into their vehicle’s booth like a crate and screeched off without any chase.

It was gathered that the abductors made their first contact with the relatives of their victim last Sunday where they demanded the N200m ransom as a must condition for his release. And since then, as the account stated, had shifted no grounds or made any amend. The kidnappers were said to have made the contacts through the traditional ruler’s mobile line.

According to the resource person’s account; “The news is true. The kidnappers of his Royal Highness have called. They called his family for the first time since his abduction on Sunday. They asked the family to make available N200m on Monday. They called through his phone. I doubt where they will get that kind of money from.”

When contacted, the police spokesperson for the Imo State Command, Michael Abattam, said that the command had begun investigation on the matter for the purposes of rescuing the monarch and bringing the culprits to books.