Former Nasarawa Deputy Gov,  Onje Gye-Wado, Kidnapped

Igbawase  Ukumba in Lafia

A former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Prof. Onje Gye-Wado, was on Thursday night kidnapped in his Rinza Village near Wamba, the headquarters of Wamba Local Government Area.

The incident, according to a family source, occurred some few minutes to 12 midnight.

The source said the kidnappers gained entrance through the fence and broke into the house through the former deputy governor’s wife’s window and whisked him away.

The source, however, recalled that the kidnappers had attempted kidnapping the Professor three times without success.

However, the source continued that on the third attempt, they killed one of his cousin brothers, whereas in this fourth try, the kidnappers succeeded.

“The wife came in for Easter and they broke into the house through her widow and took him (Gye-Wado) away. They called around 4a.m. today and threatened to kill him, without mentioning any amount as ransom,” the family source said. 

Prof. Gye-Wado was a deputy governor during the administration of the current National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, between 1999 – 2003.

However, the Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, has said efforts were ongoing to rescue the former Nasarawa deputy governor as police tactical operatives have intensified search and rescue operations. 

This was contained in a statement issued in Lafia by the Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ramhan Nansel.

The PPRO said: “The Commissioner of Police has mobilised and deployed reinforcement comprising police tactical teams, military, vigilante, and local hunters to complement the ongoing search to rescue the hostage hale and hearty and arrest perpetrators of the act.”