Abductors of Ortom’s Former Chief of Staff’s Wife, Maid, Demand N100m Ransom

George Okoh in Makurdi and John Shiklam in Kaduna

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed an attack on Terwase Orbunde, the former Chief of Staff to the immediate-past Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, by armed men, who took away his wife and cook.
A close ally of Orbunde, Tahav Argezua, also disclosed in a statement yesterday that the abductors have demanded N100 million ransom.

The state’s Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, said the command got a report on Friday evening from the former Chief of Staff that he was attacked on his farm in the evening and his wife and housemaid were whisked away by the armed men to an unknown destination.
According to the PPRO, Orbunde was also wounded in the attack.

A source close to the family said the attack took place close to the Genocide Cemetery along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the state capital on Friday, at about 6pm.
The source explained that the former Chief of Staff to Governor Ortom escaped with a gunshot wound on his right arm while the attackers whisked away his wife, Kashimana Orbunde, and her house help, Patience Ogute.

The source explained that Orbunde, his wife and maid, had gone to inspect the weeding of his farm.
Meanwhile, a close ally of Orbunde, Tahav Argezua, has disclosed that the abductors have demanded N100 million ransom.
Argezua said: “The abductors of the wife and cook of former Chief of Staff to the Benue State Governor, Terwase Orbunde, yesterday evening have demanded N100 million ransom for their release.”

He added that Orbunde, who is being treated for gunshot injuries in an undisclosed hospital in Makurdi, said the abductors spoke to him at about 8:30 am yesterday through the captives.
Argezua added that the former Chief of Staff said his wife and cook were very calm when they spoke with him.

“He revealed that during the attack, which took place at about 6 pm yesterday, the gunmen spoke Fulani among themselves and communicated with him in Hausa, saying they would contact him on the phone.
“The former Chief of Staff said they told him that he should be prepared to send money to them and that if he failed to do that, they would kill his wife and cook.”