Affluent Nigerians with children in primary and post-primary schools in Lagos State and its environs may have been the latest target of hostage-takers in the Niger-Delta region. This is following the recent abduction of a five-year-old girl, Chiloka Madubugwu, by some hoodlums from a private school (names withheld), in Orile-Iganmu area of the state.


Sunday Tribune investigations revealed that no sooner than the girl was kidnapped that her abductors transported her to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, called her father, Mr Jude Madubugwu, and demanded for the sum of N3million as ransom for her release, failure which she would be slaughtered.


However, Sunday Tribune was informed by an authoritative family source that prior to the telephone call by the hoodlums, who were still at large as at the time of filing this report , the family lawyers of the Madubugwus, Messers Festus Keyamo and Co, advised them to be on the look out for any strange call, papers on their wall or doors and gate among others since cases of kidnapping and demand for ransom had become so rampant in the country.


Accordingly, the source, who craved for anonymity at the weekend, added that true to type, a strange call came the following day from somebody who gave his name as Master Butchery, just as it stated further that the so-called Master Butchery gave an instruction that the parents of the victim should pay N3million.


Speaking further, the source said, “before the father of the five-year-old girl could ask who the caller was, the caller switched off the phone only to call back the following day, requesting that the girl’s class teacher who had been arrested by the police over the incident, be released forthwith, as not releasing the teacher immediately amounted to risking the life of the kid.”


ST findings further revealed that when Master Butchery was asked on the mode of payment, he was said to have told the father of Chiloka that he shouldn’t be faster than his shadow while stressing that every necessary detail on how it would be paid would be given to Mr. Madubugwu shortly.


Meanwhile, Mr. Madubugwu was alleged to have paid the said N1million ransom for the release of his child to a newly opened account owned by one Kingsley Abu at Aba branch of a new generation bank, as the kidnappers were said to have withdrawn the money at the Port-Harcourt branch of the same bank later after which the girl was dumped at a branch of a eatery in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where a pastor friend of the Madubugwu had gone to pick up the girl.


Consequently, when Sunday Tribune visited the school for confirmation of the story, the headmaster of the nursery and primary school said it was true.


He, however, pointed out that the school authorities had even before the incident put in place security measures to prevent such an unfortunate incident. However, when he was asked why the school security guards and teachers had to allow the hoodlums to take away the child before the arrival of her parents on that fateful day, he said he had no answer to that.

God help us, this country is yet to see the worst.
Even a 5-year old innocent girl is suffering for the misrule of Nigeria.
This kidnap is so misplaced and misguided, what is most annoying is that her name does not sound like her father is the President of Nigeria, nor the Vice President, nor any of the Security Chiefs. It does not even sound like the recently sold Refineries were sold to his father, it does not even sound like her father may be one of those retired Generals who own oil wells in the Niger-Delta.
I simply can't figure out the motivation behind this.

The militants should kindly release the girl UNCONDITIONALLY (no quid pro quo nor ransome)so that this does not open a new chapter in the crisis.

@oboatioko

You think this is "sexuality and romance" section? Keep up ya mess oh! You are used to being banned anyway! Yankee doodle monkee!

@McKren

I think I spoke too soon!  I say it only gets worse and E GO REACH EVERY BODY TURN! You thought it was a Niger Delta problem abi? The virus will soon spread to other states! Stay tuned for more horrors! When people are hungry, what do they do? I say E REACH EVERYBODY TURN!