Kidnappers abduct 65-year-old grandmother

A 65-year-old grand mother and wife of a Saudi Arabia-based gynaecologist, Mrs. Idowu Ogunleye has been kidnapped from her residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital by three armed bandits.

This was coming as the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, in the State gave the Ondo State Government 48 hours within which to secure the release of the woman.

The association in a 'Save-Our-Soul' letter addressed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko and signed by Dr Adetan Oluwatoyin and Dr I. J Adebose, chairman and secretary respectively, lamented that the latest case was the second involving wives of senior medical practitioners in the state with an intention of extorting money.

The grandmother was playing with her grand children at her No 2 Ogunleye Street, Ijoka, Akure, when she was abducted at about 7pm.

However, the acting Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wole Ojogo said the kidnappers would soon be brought to book, adding that the family should not negotiate with the kidnappers.

Eyewitness account said the three armed men came to the house on the pretext that they had a message for the victim.

According to the source, she was the only one taken out of the six people in the house at the time of the sad occurrence. Her husband, Dr Idowu Ogunleye is currently working outside the country.

Kidnappers demand for N100m

Vanguard learnt that the kidnappers have been in contact with the victim's family through phone calls and have initially demanded for N100 million naira which was later reduced to N50 million.

The family has, however, told the kidnappers that they could not afford such huge amount.

A family member said yesterday that since the woman who was neither a political office holder nor any of her siblings had been taken away since November 25. She has not been allowed to communicate with members of the family.

The family said they suspected an insider's job as the woman was a full time housewife while the husband was a private practitioner.

Meanwhile, the NMA stated that the kidnap of doctors and their relatives was a strange things in the state.

"Your Excellency, we need to emphasize that as the Chief Security Officer of this state, our lives and property are in your hand.

"When it concerned the politicians, the government was there, for journalists, the whole nation was involved and now that it involves doctors' relatives, we do not expect anything less", the NMA said.

The NMA therefore called on the government and security agencies to act fast in order to secure the release of the abducted Mrs Ogunleye, whose abductors initially requested for N100 million ransom but later reduced it to N50 million.

"We need a safe, peaceful and conducive environment for us and our family member to be able to guarantee our continual, undisturbed contribution of our quota to humanity and the healthy living standard of the people of this state.

"We need to state that we desire the resolution of this crisis within the next 48 hours in order to guarantee that all doctors in this state will be in the best psychological frame of mind to go about our normal duty of saving lives", NMA added.

The NMA emphasized that the approaching Yuletide particularly, requires that security should be beefed up in this state.

Vanguard

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