Hyundai paid Nigeria kidnap ransom, police say


An arrested gang leader told Nigerian authorities that South Korean firm Hyundai Heavy Industries paid a 30 million naira ($192,100) ransom to release six workers kidnapped in Nigeria's oil region last month, police said on Friday.

Gunmen kidnapped four South Korean and two Nigerian men at a Hyundai Heavy building on December 17, in southern oil-producing Bayelsa state. They were released five days later.

Hyundai Heavy Industries was not immediately available for comment.

Kidnapping is rife in Africa's top energy producer, making millions of dollars a year for criminal gangs, especially in the heart of the oil industry, in the swampy Niger Delta.

Bayelsa state police commissioner Kingsley Omire confirmed the ransom figure paid and said they had caught most of the suspected kidnappers. But the leader of the criminal gang had escaped after being arrested, he said.

"He told us that they received a ransom of 30 million naira and his own share was 3 million naira, which he used in buying electronic devices, DVD players etc", Omire said by telephone.

"Following his confession that he has some arms in his house, he was followed to his house, but his men opened fire on our men in the waterways ... during the gun battle he escaped."

It is unusual for authorities to admit a ransom has been paid because they say it encourages abductions.

The 83-year-old mother of Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was abducted on December 9 in Delta state but was freed five days later, a high profile target that showed few are safe from the clutches of kidnappers in Nigeria.

Three Italians and five Indians kidnapped during two separate pirate attacks last month off Nigeria are still missing..

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/04/us-nigeria-kidnap-idUSBRE9030KL20130104

That's simply because the NPF is not dependable

its a shame what we have become as a people and a nation. more fearful is the fast erosion of concept of government and power here because of pecuniary political gains. if we continue like ds, in just some years to come, Somalians will look at us and thank their God.

@nagoma
Any tribalistic comment will get you banned from this section. Be warned.

and how does dis affect the rate of kidnapping in the south-south and south-east

someone has taken upon himself to bcome police dog on NL ... #calabarpeoplearewatching

free2ryhme: someone has taken upon himself to bcome police dog on NL ... #calabarpeoplearewatching

rotlfmao

If the nigerian police authority had sense it would stop reported the amount kidnappers are making as if they're trying to advertise the profitability of kidnapping.

When's the last time the earnings of a technology or medicine firm in Nigeria was reported?

Nawa Oo.. i can spot a 'jjc' moderator in d house

Me 2! Hehehe

If the money received by these kidnappers is invested in different economic activities within the country,then they are better than so many nigeria politician.

Plz im new to nairaland..how do i comment on topics like dis?

deejay_harry1: Plz im new to nairaland..how do i comment on topics like dis?

u just did

I hope this guy will stop this business of kidnapping and focus on economic activities.

lacasa:

Nawa Oo.. i can spot a 'jjc' moderator in d house

Na so me sef see am oh!!!!

wud av preferred someone else tho,a neutraL!

slimming: I hope this guy will stop this business of kidnapping and focus on economic activities.

ok talk to him ... i think he will listen....

3 million for electronic gadget Nawao!!! Dat kidnapper guy for just go do manual labour instead of wasting his talents

I don't think there is anything wrong in disclosing the ransom collected from the kidnappers, as far as it does not contradict their(NPF) working ethics and there is no breach in confidentiality between the two parties( Hyundai vs NPF). Moreover, this could aid in research analysis which might stop this vendetta that is painting our country evil.


You are free to disprove or refute my hypothesis.

We know they all pay ransom, the police don't admit pretending they do a good job.

Bolt2011: 3 million for electronic gadget Nawao!!! Dat kidnapper guy for just go do manual labour instead of wasting his talents

Easy come easy go!

If he comes to Lagos for a weekend he can easily blow that N3m. Then it's on to the next job, no pension, no retirement plan. It's either death or prison

@OP

It's ok for he police to state the ransom as they caught most of the kidnappers. When a bank is robbed or a fraud is committed, the police/efcc state the amount that was stolen, even if it may serve as encouragement to some criminally minded people.

Thank jah they were nabbed.

Does nabbing them change the fast that Afam wants to play Abacha?

I'm new on this forum, please how do I get banned?

afam4eva: @nagoma
Any tribalistic comment will get you banned from this section. Be warned.

and why are u warning only him?

afam4eva: @nagoma
Any tribalistic comment will get you banned from this section. Be warned.

u don become MOD abi?

Can anyone tell me why the frag the Nigerian police are announcing the ransom money paid? Don't these ,morons know that these sums will only serve to lure more people into the kidnapping game?
Idiots!

aglomar: Thank jah they were nabbed.

Didn't u read the part were the police claimed that the suspect trick them & escape from their custody.

free2ryhme:



u just did

U get tym oo, dix kyd of qustns no dey get ANS...

UNLEASHED: I'm new on this forum, please how do I get banned?

It is quiet simple, all u need 2do is derail a thread, insult OP, Moderator or fellow NLander. U can as well post indecent pix in an inappropriate thread. Wit al dix simple act, u'l b award'd wit a BAN....

deejay_harry1: Plz im new to nairaland..how do i comment on topics like dis?

This is the new craze on nairaland abi? The era of 1st to comment don dey go.