Barely 24 hours after the kidnap of the wife of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mrs. Margaret Emefiele, Daily Trust looked into the abduction for ransom of prominent persons in Nigeria.



1. Rev. Father John Adeyi

On April 24 2016, Reverend Father John Adeyi was kidnapped. Despite an outrage over his kidnapping both locally and internationally, Father Adeyi’s decomposed body was found in a bush at Odoba village in Otukpo area of Benue state.

The kidnappers of the catholic priest killed him in cold blood, despite receiving about N2 million from his family members.



2. Olu Falae

On September 21, 2015, a former Finance Minister, Olu Falae was kidnapped by six Fulani herdsmen at his Ilado home in Akure, Ondo state.

He was released after an undisclosed amount of ransom was paid by his family; the kidnappers initially asked for N100 million but later reduced it to N90 million.



3. Princess Toyin Omosowon, the regent of Akungba-Akoko in Ondo State.

On June 5, 2015 the regent of Akungba Akoko in Ondo State, Princess Toyin Omosowon, was kidnapped.

She was kidnapped along Akure/Akungba-Akoko Express road while returning to the palace after attending an inaugural lecture by the Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun.

She was freed two weeks after by the joint effort of security agencies; no amount was disclosed as payment for ransom.



4. Professor James Adiche

Similarly, the father of a popular Nigerian author Chimamanda Adiche, Professor James Adiche was abducted on May 2nd, 2015.

5. Mrs. Mabel Kamene Titi Okonjo

In December 2012, the mother of Nigeria’s former Finance minister, Mabel Kamene Titi Okonjo was also abducted allegedly by a 10-man kidnap gang at Ogwashi-Ukwu, in Delta state.

The gang were allegedly paid a ransom of about N13 million before she was released five days after her abduction.
6. Margaret, three women and a driver were attacked on Thursday along the Benin-Agbor Road and dragged into a nearby bush while their vehicle was abandoned. The kidnappers were said to have demanded a ransom of about N100m.

A police source said, “The kidnappers released the victims around 1am. We found them around the bush beside the expressway where they were kidnapped. Investigations are ongoing.