Heartless! Mobil staff finger chopped off by kidnappers…After collecting N5m

AFTER 31 days in the kidnappers’ den, the Proprietor of Sure Foundation Polytechnic, Ukanafun Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Idongesit Udom, finally regained his freedom on Wednesday night, with one of his fingers chopped off for failure to pay the N70 million ransom demanded.

A family source disclosed that N5 million ransom was paid before the retired ExxonMobil worker, who was kidnapped in his village, Nneke, on April 9, was released in the early hours of Wednesday, at Aba, Abia State.

The source said: “The kidnappers were angry when N5 million was paid to them. They told the family contact that the N5 million was for the victim’s welfare. Maybe because they could not get more money, they decided to chop off one of his fingers “However, the family is happy that he is alive. He is currently receiving treatment in a hospital after being in the kidnappers’ custody for one month.” The kidnappers had demanded N500 million ransom from Udom’s family but later reduced it to N70 million after two weeks of negotiation.

At a point, they asked that Sure Foundation Polytechnic be sold to raise the ransom. Contacted, the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Chukwu Ikechuwu, who confirmed Dr. Udom’s release, added that investigations were still ongoing to track down the hoodlums. “We are working tirelessly to ensure that the hoodlums do not go unpunished,” Ikechukwu said.  Vanguard