The council vice chairman was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Sunday night while returning to his house in Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
The abductors of the vice chairman of Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State, Frank Ozue, have established contact with his family, demanding a ransom of N30 million, SaharaReporters has gathered.
The council vice chairman was kidnapped by unknown gunmen on Sunday night while returning to his house in Ughelli, headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
SaharaReporters gathered that the abductors of the council vice chairman have made several withdrawals from his bank accounts using his ATM cards.
A senior management staff member of Isoko North council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that the abductors of the vice chairman have established contact with the victim's family demanding for N30 million ransom to free him.
The source said, "As at this moment, the kidnappers have reached out to the family demanding a ransom of N30 million to free him. His wife has been reaching out to some prominent Isoko politicians in government to raise the cash. Some of the top politicians and top government officials from the Isoko nation that the vice chairman's wife has reached so far are his political godfather and Managing Director of Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh, an America-based Executive Assistant to the governor, Oghenekome Okpobor, popularly know as 'Kome', among others."
Speaking with SaharaReporters on the incident, a councillor who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the abduction could have been planned.
"This is why the leadership of the council is not so much bothered, outside the issues of rivalry between the two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) political groups, that is, equity group where he belongs and unity group, where the council chairman, Christian Iteire belongs.
"Another thing is that the council would have been deeply involved assuming he was kidnapped while on official duties. But in this case, he was said to be coming from a nightclub. Everything just looks suspicious, I must tell you. However, we still pray he gets his freedom unhurt," the councillor said.