Abducted Anambra Market Chairman: Family Pays #5m Ransom

…Police Vow To Rescue Victim

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

The family of the abducted chairman of Mgbuka Amazon market, Onitsha, Anambra State, Chief Enibe Francis, had reportedly paid #5million ransom to the abductors as demanded but he is yet to be released.

Recall that the victim was abducted in the early hours of September 25, 2023, being Monday Sit-at-home, by a yet to be identified gunmen, beat up to pulp and whisked off with a waiting SUV on the fateful day.

Making this disclosure at ASMATA Secretariat along Modebe road, Onitsha Monday, the ASMATA President General, PG, Chief Humphrey Anuna, said the abductors pledged to release him by last Wednesday or Thursday but that they were yet to fulfil their pledge.

“We as traders, friends and family rallied round and raised the #5million but we are yet to see him. They said Wednesday or Thursday that they will release him but he has not been released,” he stated.

Contributing, the President General of Awba Ofemili community, Hon. Anthony Emenike Nwakeze, commended Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, for curtailing the increased crime rate in the State assuring that in no distant time the State would be crime free.

“We are happy the governor is meeting with all stakeholders and Presidents-General, AVS and the youth volunteers are also out to fight crimes and criminality in the State. Insecurity is a national thing, it is not only in Anambra State,” he stated.

In a swift reaction during the parade of criminal suspects in Awka, Monday, the State Commissioner of Police, CP, Mr. Adeyemi Adeoye, vowed to sack criminals in the State even as he paraded 128 criminals arrested for various offences that included cultism, car snatching, burglary, highway passengers’ abduction, among others.

“I am aware of the abduction of the Amazon market chairman and we are working on how to release him. We are aware and we will not say we are relaxing,” he stated.

Reacting earlier, the chairman of Sokoto market, Onitsha, Hon. Emeka Eze, said that his abduction has resulted in fear gripping every market chairman.

“What happened was unfortunate, we have to embark on serious prayers for his release alive. Government should provide enough security to the markets if the Monday sanitation and prayer should continue because with the latest ugly development, fear has gripped traders.

“We are not happy with what happened, that our brother is being held. Government should do something because it means we are not save. Nnamdi Kanu should also be released for all thses crimes to end.

“Vigilante group only can’t do this thing alone, there should be joint security operatives to face the fire power of the unknown gunmen because they don’t operate with pump action guns but military rifles like Ak47 guns and other sophisticated weapons,” he stated.

On his take, the chairman of Haruna market, Chief Emmanuel Idoko, stated that to have picked the Mgbuka Amazun market chairman without any resistance from the market vigilante group or any other persons means that the security there is porous and not at an alert when the unknown gunmen stormed the market in question.

“We have security in my market and I am the Chief Security Officer, CSO, of ASMATA, we are asking the Governor to beef up security as this is a slight on the traders, it looks unbelievable that the market head was kidnapped. The governor is the one that asked us to do sanitation on Mondays, and open our shops. We discussed it with him during our last meeting at Awka and he assured us of provision of security. Markets suppose to have joint task force so that the traders will be determined.

“We did our Monday prayers and stayed throughout , when we got the call, we decided to rush to Mgbuka Amazu, we are asking for more security from the Governor, the thing also put fear on traders, my traders did not turn up after the incident, we are praying for the release of Nnamdi kanu, that is our prayer every Monday so that the crime will end.

“I don’t know why some people will be terrorizing the market, we believe that if Nnamdi Kanu is released, all these hoodlums will stop, if other things come up, then we know that they are criminals not freedom fighters,” he further added.

Pic shows the CP right showing some of the recovered vehicles