Kidnappers Demand N500 Million For Soludo's Father

No word has been heard about the whereabouts of Mr. Simon Nwankwo, father of the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chukwuma Soludo, who was kidnapped on Tuesday night. However, last night, the kidnappers of the 78-year old man broke their silence.

They are demanding the sum of N500 billion as ransom before they would release the father of the putative candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2010 Anambra Sate governorship election. A senior police officer of the Anambra State command of the Nigerian police who does not want his name in print, confirmed the report of the ransom demand. He, however, said the command had not been officially notified.

Mr.Nwankwo, was kidnapped in his hometown of Isuofia in Aguata local government Area on Tuesday by a six-man gang who came in a Peugeot 406 saloon car.

Chris Uba invited

The spokesperson of the Anambra State police command, Emeka Chukwuemeka, also confirmed to NEXT that the command had issued an invitation to Chris Uba, a leader of the PDP in Anambra state to report to the command today.

Mr Chukwuemka declined comments on whether the invitation was connected to the kidnap of Mr Soludo’s father. “We invited him because of the political meeting he (Chris Uba) convened in the state capital yesterday,” he said. Sources, however, told NEXT that the invitation was on the directive of the Inspector general of Police, Ogbonnaya Onovo.

In an earlier phone conversation with NEXT, Mr Chukwuemeka said the command was yet to establish any contact with the kidnappers. He, however said that he believed that with the intense efforts being put into the search, Mr Soludo might soon be rescued.

“The command is doing its best to establish a lead, and the command has not found any,” he said. “This command has been doing everything humanly possible to establish contact with the kidnappers, but up till now, no information yet. That does not mean that even now or soon, we cannot re-establish contact with the kidnappers or rescue the man.”

Whiff of politics

But the Southeast Zone of the Nigeria Renewal Group (NRG) has accused the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party of being responsible for the kidnap.

A statement by the group’s chairman, Ejiamatu Chikwado, said the kidnap was politically motivated.

“The national leadership of the PDP ,since the Colonel Ahmadu Ali days, should be held responsible for acts of terrorism like this one because it has always rewarded its favoured members who brazenly indulge in all manner of criminal acts, even against fellow party members,” he said.

“The kidnapping of the PDP candidate’s father, apparently by his own party men, is what would always happen in a country where crime is rewarded, instead of being punished. Nigeria is not yet a country governed by the rule of law, but by the rule of men.” Chris Ngige, a former governor of the state was abducted on July 10 2003. But the group said this was equally done by his political opponents, whom it said were not punished.

“The abductors were thus encouraged to do more dastardly things, like the burning of such state institutions as the House of Assembly, the legislators’ quarters, Government House, the state judicial headquarters, broadcasting stations and others in November, 2004, for a whole two days in broad daylight,” the group said.


http://allafrica.com/stories/200910281076.html

I advice Soludo to leave politics and face his distinguished profession.

We pray the poor man is released unharmed.

Someone has recently said that being kidnapped has become a sort of status-symbol, that some people are now arranging to get themselves kidnapped.  It is only rich people that get kidnapped, so why not add this to your CV - get yourself kidnapped today!

N500,000,000.00? Is this not mincemeat compared to what the guy reaped from his previous office?

@op, who is mistakening, 500 Million or billion, take note of the bolded words


                           Kidnappers Demand N500 Million For Soludo's Father

Guys, this is just the beginning. Lets wait to 2011 election, hell will let lose Nigeria.

Soludo has toiled and now he is ready to give it up to the poor just to confirm what the Bible says.

Why would a CBN governor of F.R of Nigeria not  go forward to the world bank or higher financial bodies but stoop low to contest for State governorship-Its just greed!

If it is God's will that there is no other person for the governorship of Anambra state,then Anambra state should accept him.

"Where a governor is not available,the available is the governor".

N500 Million ransome is just the beginning, more are to come. 

Soludo is learning very fast in politics, from the most notorious party - PDP.
Due to his unpopular persona in Anambra politics, he paid some people to kidnap his father so that he can have a free-ride into the Government house @the expense of public sympathy/pity.
Sheer brilliance!!

maga will soon pay. the kidnappers will soon hammer but they need to be careful dealing with big fishes.
this is a jackpot.

Afterall, he said Nigerian graduates are unemployable.  Seems like these kidnappers have found employment.

Up Soludo.

when you were distributing N35 Million Naira each to each of your contestant colleagues, you never knew the kidnapper could come and demand for their of share of your loot.

@ Topic,
Its indeed a sorry state of affairs in this country. Though I believe soludo was ill-advised to contest, the way and manner the PDP went about his selection was wrong. For Soludo himself to be grandstanding and carrying on the way he has been doing is also very wrong. Its just simple logic that his political "seniors" will try to teach him some Politics 101.
That being said, I do not support kidnapping, No. I think the size of that ransome was just to make a statement, or force Soludo into a tight corner i.e be damned if you do, be damned if you dont.
It would be interesting to see how PDP and the "annointed one" wriggles out of this.

All boils down to the fact that Gov. Peter Obi cant safe guard lives and properties in Anambra State. His reign has witnessed unequalled number of kidnapping and robbery incidents in the State.

Real or Fake, Soludo has money, let him PAY.   Oya Soludo, write the check nau nau

my guy, how far ?