Kidnappers Paid N12.5m For Monarch’s Freedom

The State Security Service (SSS) says the family of the kidnapped monarch of Ogbogoro Community in Bayelsa State, Godwin Igbodo, paid N12.5 million ransom to his abductors to secure his release.

The Assistant Director of the SSS, Mr Didacus Egbedi, made the disclosure while parading one of the suspects, Promise Adeghe, at the command’s headquarters in Yenagoa on Monday.

Egbedi said the suspect, a native of Azuzuama in the Southern-Ijaw Local Government Area was arrested early in December in Yenagoa in connection with the abduction.

He disclosed that Igodo was released on 27 September at Abonema River in the Abonema Local Government Area of Rivers State, after the payment of N12.5 million ransom and recharge cards worth N150, 000 by family members of Igodo.

“Adeghe had collected the sum of N50,000 as initial payment from the ransom and was to collect the balance when he returns to Port Harcourt but  unfortunately, he was arrested before his intended return,” he said.

Egbedi also said the suspect had mentioned three accomplices, whose names he gave as Mikel, Osuo and Kingdom, as being behind the abduction of Igodo.

The suspect, he added, would be charged to court today.

Adeghe, 24, while responding to questions confirmed that he was an ex-militant in the “Young Shall Grow Camp.”

Meanwhile, a family source confided in NAN that Igodo was recuperating in London after the incident.

NAN recalls that Igodo was kidnapped on 1 September at his palace at Ogbogoro community and regained his freedom on 27 September after spending four weeks in captivity.