Bayelsa’s Chief Whip’s Son Abducted
Eleven year-old son of the deputy Chief Whip of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, Hon. Rubi Benjamin was yesterday abducted by unknown gunmen from his family home in Yenagoa, the state capital.

But few hours later, the kidnappers contacted the father of the boy, Pastor Kenneth Benjamin, at about 8.30am, demanding N20million ransom.

The abduction of the legislator's son is coming barely four days after the release of the mother to the Bayelsa State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Werinepre Seibarogu by another unknown group in the state.

In his reaction, the Bayelsa State deputy governor, Hon. Perebowei Ebebi and the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Werinepre Seibarogu visited the family residence of the Benjamins where they condemned the act, warning that the state government will not fold its hands and allow its citizens to continue to live in fear.

It was gathered that the incident occurred around 6.30am on Wednesday morning with the abductors removing the roof of the house and snatching the child, who was then in a room with his elder brother. It was learnt that nobody discovered the disappearance of the child until the early hours of the morning.

Speaking with newsmen on the incident, father of the boy, Pastor Kenneth Benjamin said he discovered that his son had been abducted when he could not find him within the premises with the roof of the building forcefully torn open with heavy objects and the main door left ajar. He could not explain the mystery involved in the invasion as no one in the house heard the movements of the militants.

" Whether they are militants or kidnappers I don't know but when I came out to call them for morning prayer session, only Daniel could not be accounted for. On checking, the main door was left open."

He revealed that his child abductors had been in constant touch with him on mobile phone with a demand for N20million. He also revealed that he was allowed to speak with his son, "my son urged me to pay the ransom demanded for by the abductors but they are still calling me".

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the mother, who is the deputy Chief Whip of the House of Assembly, Mrs. Ruby Benjamin was unknown but it was gathered that she left with the state deputy governor and the Speaker who had both called to sympathise with the family.

But in his official reaction, the deputy governor of the state, Hon. Perebowei Ebebi condemned in strong terms, the kidnapping of children, women, and the aged in the name of militancy," the trend has become a calculated attempt to scare top government officials. I call on the kidnappers to release the boy immediately and stop this moral depravity that will do nobody any good".

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