Cross River Promises Safe Return of Kidnapped Commissioner

Bassey Inyang in Calabar

The Cross River State Government has given assurance that the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Mr. Gabriel Oji, who was kidnapped on April 9 would soon be release.

The state Security Adviser, Mr. Jude Ngaji, who gave the hint yesterday, said the state government was doing everything legally possible to secure the release of the commissioner.

Ngaji said from every indication, there was the possibility that the commissioner would be release within the week.

He said the state government and security agencies were working assiduously to unravel the circumstances and the real motive behind the abduction of the commissioner.

“By the end of today or latest tomorrow he is going to be out. When he is out, I will address the media. The whole thing is beyond mere kidnapping as is reported. There are a lot of issues that surrounding the matter, including domestic issues. It was not a case of conventional kidnapping. Such cannot be a situation where a kidnapper comes into your house, pick you up and go away. It was not in a restaurant that he was abducted,” Ngaji said.

He dismissed the rumour making the rounds that the kidnappers were demanding N100 million ransoms before they can release the commissioner.

“I am not aware of any N100 million ransom. Our position as a government is that we don’t pay ransom. Police authorities and other security agencies are doing their work and we are working towards his release, between today (Wednesday) and tomorrow (Thursday), and after that, we would talk to journalists. I cannot say more than that for now.”