Rep's daughter kidnapped in Abuja
By Tunke-Aye Bisina (Asaba) and Otei Oham (Abuja)

* Delta Chief Accountant's daughter too

Kidnappers have slithered from the outer states into Abuja where, on Thursday, they demanded N100 million to free Theresa, daughter of a member of the House of Representatives, Christopher Berewari, whom they snatched from the University of Abuja (UNIABUJA) where she is a student.





advertisement

The horror spread South, as eight-year-old Tare, daughter of the Chief Accountant of Delta State Ministry of Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Charles Isiaye, was abducted in Asaba.

It is suspected that Theresa's captors came from a state in the Niger Delta.

Berewari represents Opobo/Nkoro/Andoni Federal Constituency of Rivers State.

Gladys, wife of former Minister of State for Petroleum, Edmund Daukoru, was kidnapped last week and later released after an alleged payment of $2.5 million ransom.

House member, Chukwuma Umeoji (LP, Anambra), who announced Theresa's abduction, said the kidnappers have been calling Berewari on the telephone to negotiate their price.

"We just got news that the daughter of one of our members, Christopher, from Rivers State, has just been adducted while in school at the University of Abuja. We hear the people behind it are demanding N100 million as ransom before they will release the poor girl. It is worrisome.

"I am now compelled to come up with a motion to address this, and this will be next week," Umeoji added.

Another member of the House, Sekonte Davies (Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers), wondered why it has taken the Federal Government so long to tackle militancy and kidnapping.

He urged security agents to comb UNIABUJA and its environs in search of the kidnappers who should face the wrath of the law.

Berewari himself confirmed the incident but was too depressed to say how security agencies are proceeding with the release of his daughter

He prayed to God that she returns unharmed.

Tare's father, Isiaye, who is former Government House Chief Accountant under former Governor James Ibori, told reporters in Asaba that she was abducted at about 3.50 p.m. by two men who were in a car that trailed his driver who picked her up from school and was bringing her home.

He said the matter has been reported to the police.

But, at press time, both Police Commissioner, Jacob Oshiomogho, and Police Public Relations Officer, Charles Muka, said they had not been briefed on the incident.

Oshiomogho wondered why Isiaye had not formally reported the incident to police, noting that three hours was enough time for the kidnappers to have whisked the girl to as far away as Abia State.

Delta had been relatively quiet in matters of kidnap, except for the abduction on July 20 last year of Arthur Okwo, 75, father of the Secretary to the State Government

He only regained his freedom on July 25.

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/feb/13/722.html