The kidnapped former Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Chudi Nwike, whose lifeless body was found in Agbor, Delta State, three weeks after his abduction, might have been killed because payment of the ransom was delayed. Sunday Sun gathered exclusively that Dr. Nwike’s family delayed in paying the N30 million demanded by the kidnappers for his release, and eventually raised only N5 million.
Although the kidnappers took the money, they still killed their prized hostage. His brother, Dr. Bufah Nwike, who spoke with Sunday Sun in a telephone interview, said that the N30 million cheque found on his neck were made up of three cheques of N 10 million each, signed by the late former Deputy Governor, to be cleared at the Diamond Bank, but which bounced at the clearing house. The cheques, he said, were sent to them through his driver who was kidnapped with him.
Dr. Nwike said that the cheques were taken to him at the kidnappers’ den to confirm to the deceased and his kidnappers that they bounced. He told Sunday Sun that the kidnappers called him on phone last Saturday and confirmed that they received the N 5 million ransom. He said that the two other corpses found lying beside his brother were those of a friend of the family, Mr. Eric Ugboma who volunteered to take the N 5 million ransom to the kidnappers, while the other dead body was that of a taxi driver who was hired by Eric to take him on the journey to the kidnappers. He explained that because he did not know the driver before his death, he could not identify his body when he went for identification.
There was no clue as to the identity of those behind the dastardly act as at the time of filling this report. Already, members of the family and the Ogbunike community in Abuja, were said to have been holding meetings on how to give the slain former Deputy Governor a befitting burial. Members of the public have condemned the action of the kidnappers who killed their hostages, after receiving N5million sent to them. Meanwhile, political associates of the slain National Vice Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (South East), have ruled out doubt political motives for his death.
One of them that pleaded anonymity said: “While I am not happy with our government because of the insecurity in our state and its failure to rise up to the task of rescuing our brother and former Deputy Governor alive, I want to disagree with the insinuation that his killing was politically motivated. “Let us be realistic, Dr. Nwike was not a political force that would warrant anybody getting him out of the way to win any election or political position.
He was a very peaceful man. He went to Alliance for Democracy (AD) to avoid political trouble. The story had it that when the kidnapper took him, they took away his phone and while they were on the way, an alert came into his phone showing a balance of N30 million. It was said that somebody he lent money just paid back hence the alert. That was why I think the kidnappers insisted that N30 million ransom must be paid and that it must be his wife or his brother, Nwabufo, that should bring the money to them.”
Reacting to the killing of the man that sent the N5 million raised by the family, another associate said: “It is possible that the kidnappers suspected that the man was a security agent and they killed him and the driver.” On its part, the ACN in the state stated that it did all it could with its leader, to save Nwike but regretted that its efforts failed. “All efforts and contacts made by our party to relevant authorities had not yielded any dividend and have surprisingly not even drawn any concern from quarters we took for granted.
But we are crest-fallen that Dr Nwike has gone the way of all mortals, though in a way we would have wished away. “We are tremendously ashamed of the circumstances of his death and wish we could erase from history that a former Deputy Governor of a State in Nigeria died in this manner. “Our Leader, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, mourns, our committed party faithful weep and our overwhelming supporters wail, but Dr Nwike, Ibolo Ogbunike, distinguished medical Doctor, calculative politician and quintessential statesman is no more.
“Since the security agencies did not succeed in tracking down Anambra’s Deputy Governor in life, we urge them to rise and smash all obstacles on the way to unearthing the abductors and killers of ACN’s rare gem, an embodiment of peace and knowledge. We urge them to leave no stone unturned and not be beaten by any decoy until the nation has the right answers to the nagging questions. For we do not know who it will be next.”
Culled from The Sun
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Although the kidnappers took the money, they still killed their prized hostage. His brother, Dr. Bufah Nwike, who spoke with Sunday Sun in a telephone interview, said that the N30 million cheque found on his neck were made up of three cheques of N 10 million each, signed by the late former Deputy Governor, to be cleared at the Diamond Bank, but which bounced at the clearing house. The cheques, he said, were sent to them through his driver who was kidnapped with him.
Dr. Nwike said that the cheques were taken to him at the kidnappers’ den to confirm to the deceased and his kidnappers that they bounced. He told Sunday Sun that the kidnappers called him on phone last Saturday and confirmed that they received the N 5 million ransom. He said that the two other corpses found lying beside his brother were those of a friend of the family, Mr. Eric Ugboma who volunteered to take the N 5 million ransom to the kidnappers, while the other dead body was that of a taxi driver who was hired by Eric to take him on the journey to the kidnappers. He explained that because he did not know the driver before his death, he could not identify his body when he went for identification.
There was no clue as to the identity of those behind the dastardly act as at the time of filling this report. Already, members of the family and the Ogbunike community in Abuja, were said to have been holding meetings on how to give the slain former Deputy Governor a befitting burial. Members of the public have condemned the action of the kidnappers who killed their hostages, after receiving N5million sent to them. Meanwhile, political associates of the slain National Vice Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (South East), have ruled out doubt political motives for his death.
One of them that pleaded anonymity said: “While I am not happy with our government because of the insecurity in our state and its failure to rise up to the task of rescuing our brother and former Deputy Governor alive, I want to disagree with the insinuation that his killing was politically motivated. “Let us be realistic, Dr. Nwike was not a political force that would warrant anybody getting him out of the way to win any election or political position.
He was a very peaceful man. He went to Alliance for Democracy (AD) to avoid political trouble. The story had it that when the kidnapper took him, they took away his phone and while they were on the way, an alert came into his phone showing a balance of N30 million. It was said that somebody he lent money just paid back hence the alert. That was why I think the kidnappers insisted that N30 million ransom must be paid and that it must be his wife or his brother, Nwabufo, that should bring the money to them.”
Reacting to the killing of the man that sent the N5 million raised by the family, another associate said: “It is possible that the kidnappers suspected that the man was a security agent and they killed him and the driver.” On its part, the ACN in the state stated that it did all it could with its leader, to save Nwike but regretted that its efforts failed. “All efforts and contacts made by our party to relevant authorities had not yielded any dividend and have surprisingly not even drawn any concern from quarters we took for granted.
But we are crest-fallen that Dr Nwike has gone the way of all mortals, though in a way we would have wished away. “We are tremendously ashamed of the circumstances of his death and wish we could erase from history that a former Deputy Governor of a State in Nigeria died in this manner. “Our Leader, Dr Chris Nwabueze Ngige, mourns, our committed party faithful weep and our overwhelming supporters wail, but Dr Nwike, Ibolo Ogbunike, distinguished medical Doctor, calculative politician and quintessential statesman is no more.
“Since the security agencies did not succeed in tracking down Anambra’s Deputy Governor in life, we urge them to rise and smash all obstacles on the way to unearthing the abductors and killers of ACN’s rare gem, an embodiment of peace and knowledge. We urge them to leave no stone unturned and not be beaten by any decoy until the nation has the right answers to the nagging questions. For we do not know who it will be next.”
Culled from The Sun
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