MANY officials of the Lagos State Government shepherd their children underground yesterday, following the abduction of the three-year old daughter of an aide to Governor Raji Fashola.

The little girl had accompanied her mother to a popular market on Thursday when she was seized by abductors who are asking for N50 million ransom. Sources said the woman, who had left her kid with the driver to pick some items, found that the child and driver were nowhere to be found.

According to the sources, the woman frantically worked the phone, calling the driver, who would not pick his calls, before alerting her husband. One of them said the husband also tried to get the driver who asked him to pay N50 million before the child could be returned hale and hearty.

The matter was, thereafter, reported to the police. It was gathered that the official, who is very close to the governor, recruited the driver when Fashola appointed him to the sensitive position. A senior police official confirmed the abduction of the child yesterday, saying one of the kidnappers "is a known person".

"He has been discussing with the family. Negotiation is on", he said.

It was gathered that the state police command has put its men on the alert.

A police source said detectives have been drafted to sensitive spots of the Centre of Excellence and the residence of the driver, who apparently is working with the kidnappers.

The source also revealed that the governor has directed the state police commissioner, Marvel Akpoyibo, to ensure that the child is rescued from the abductors.

On January 5, 2008, the 15-year old son of the Secretary to the Rivers State branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Master Ogochukwu Orisa Onyiri was kidnapped. The kidnappers demanded N60 million ransom.

The 15-year old boy was kidnapped by militants who equally claimed to be protesting the neglect of the Niger Delta people took place at 8.30 p.m at Ogbogu village in Ogba/ Egbema/Ndoni Local Government area. He was forced by five gun men into a Peugeot 504 salon car which immediately disappeared into the dark.

An eyewitness account said the boy was returning home when the car sped past him.

The driver of the car suddenly stopped close to the boy and forced him into the car.

The screaming of the boy who sensed danger owing to the spate of kidnapping in the state attracted people who raised alarm.But the kidnappers responded with gun shots into the air.

Another three-year old boy, Samuel Amadi was taken hostage on July 12, 2007, when he was being driven to school in his father's Mercedes Benz SUV. He was released the second day.

Amadi, who was snatched exactly a week after three-year-old Margaret Hill, was kidnapped in similar circumstances in Port Harcourt. He was the fourth child to be kidnapped.

Michael Stewart was the first, Margret Hill, second and Samuel Amadi, all minors.

Father of the boy, Francis Amadi who is the paramount ruler of Iriebe Oro Esara, Evo Kingdom of Rivers State, said he paid a N3 million ransom before the toddler was released. Amadi said after his son was taken, the militants initially demanded a N50 million ransom.

According to him, the ransom was initially slashed to N5 million before it was jacked up to N8 million.The kidnappers threatened to kill the boy if the ransom was not paid. They later agreed to take N3million before young Amadi could be released.

On August 8, last year, an 11-year old son of Bayelsa State lawmaker, was abducted from his home. The kidnappers reportedly demanded a $150,000 ransom.

The abduction came as a gang released a British and a Bulgarian hostage, seized from a river barge on July 8, 2007.

The boy is said to be the son of parliamentarian Ruby Benjamin, the only female legislator in the 24-member Bayelsa State House of Assembly.

Margaret Hill, the three-year-old daughter of a late British expatriate worker, was kidnapped and released after four days. Since the orgy of seizeures, over 200 foreigners have been abducted.

On February 5, armed men killed a policeman during an overnight attack and abducted the wife of a prominent politician, Lulu Briggs.

When are we things like this stop happening in my dear country Nigeria just for 3months

Kidnapping here and there

This is only starting, it is going to continue.

Dividend of corruption, now the crimanals now know where to go, i say good even though i dont support the act its a good development, at least now we can add kidnapping to one of our many social ills, very soon we will overtake Mexico.

At least the Gov of the day is creating employment for prospective body guards. dat is the future dat market go boom like shit.

Or what do u guys think. I guess i need to reposition myself, i want to believe dats the way forward. wey John Creasy

@Don---

No this is not good and I hope it does not continue. I do not know where you are based but you understand that this could affect you. A criminal is not ROMANTIC. A criminal will not do anything good. People that you consider ordinary may also be kidnapped if the trend continues. So please, condemn it and pray folr better news out of the country.

from what i heard of this particular kidnapping,i think it was an inside job,the way i see it is the driver needing some money and planned with some people to kidnap the kids.
thats why domestic workers in nigeria should be treated more fairly,workers like the driver,cook,gate men should be paid sufficiently and not just living wages,make them happy and provide welfare for them and their children and they ll remain loyal(though i have no idea what the situation was with the driver)

I hope things like this continues, the politicans are CRIMINALS too.

The abducted three-year-old daughter of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s aide was freed by her abductors this morning.

The family of the governor’s aide, Folorunsho Coker, was thrown into grief last Thursday when his daughter was kidnapped, and the abductors demanded N50 million.

P.M.News exclusively gathered this morning that the girl was found in one of the hotels in Accra Airport, Ghana.

A government source told P.M.News that the girl’s mother, accompanied by a white official and others, went to the hotel where the kidnappers left the girl to pick her up this morning.

When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, said he was not aware of the girl’s release.

However, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, told P.M.News on phone that the girl has been found, adding that no money was paid before her release.

The girl was abducted last Thursday at a popular market in Lagos where she had gone with her mother. The kidnappers had demanded N50 million.

Folake Coker, mother of the girl, left her with the driver to pick up something in the market and came back to discover that the kid and the driver had disappeared. Several calls to the driver’s phone yielded no positive result as the phone had been switched off. He later picked up the phone demanding for N50 million ransom.

http://thepmnews.com/2008/07/08/kidnapped-child-of-fashola%e2%80%99s-aide-found-in-ghana

Kidnapping don reach Lagos sef??
This is some scary ish oh!

Mr. President have proved if you don't have a record of blowing things up, you don't get an invitation to hangout with him.

This is the begining of ANARCHY. Goodluck Nigeria.