Gunmen kidnap banker, Ochoga Agbese in Benue

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Sunday night abducted a banker, Prince Ochoga Agbese in his house at Apa Agila in Ado local government area of Benue State.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, said that the suspected kidnappers stormed the residence of the man around 7.00pm on Sunday and whisked him away.
As at the time of filing this report, the banker with business establishments at Apa-Agila is yet to get any contact with the family.
The source said that the man who works in one of the banks in Minna, Niger State capital had been home due to the lockdown before the suspects kidnapped him.
The source said, “Ado local government has become a den of kidnappers in the past few months.
“Just previous Sunday, 25th of April, 2020, a pastor, Samuel Agbo Unogwu, husband of immediate elected Chairman of Ado LGC, Blessing Unogwu, was kidnapped.
“The suspected kidnappers who were armed with sophisticated weapons stormed his house at about 7:00 pm and was kidnapped.
“Although, the man of God has since been released after ransom was paid”, the source said.
Confirming the report, a community leader and one time chairman of the local government, Hon. Otse Otokpa lamented the rising rate of kidnapping in the council.
He advised that” the Council Chairman should, as a matter of urgency, call Ado stakeholders meeting to address the issue and possibly delegate some people to see the Governor.
Also confirming the kidnap of the two people in one week, the Divisional Police Officer, Ado local government, Mr Odaudu Odejo said that his men were on the trail of the kidnappers.
Odejo said, “ it is true that someone was kidnapped yesterday (Sunday) in Ado and we are working towards his rescue.
The acting chairman of the local government, Honorable Abel Onazi who also confirmed the kidnap of the two prominent people in his local government said that he had reached out to the state government to assist in nipping the crime rate in the bud.
“There is high rate of kidnapping in the local government, just two Sundays ago, the husband of the former elected chairman of the local government was kidnapped, though had been released.
“The security men are on the trail of the man they kidnapped last Sunday and I have met with the state government on the increase in the crime rate in the local government and awaiting their assistance”’ Onazi said.
The acting chairman said that the family of the former elected chairman Blessing Agbo coughed out N.9 million to secure the release of the husband kidnapped penultimate Sunday.
The spokesperson for Benue State Command, DSP Catherine Anene while confirming the abduction and the rise of kidnapping in the local government said that the command had at a time dispatched policemen to the area and were able to arrest some suspects.
She said, “we once sent policemen to the area around February and were able to arrest some suspects but you know that due to the terrain of the area it makes it (kidnapping) rampart because they always run to the bush after the crime.