SOLUDO’S DAD’S ABDUCTION. HOAX OR REAL?

Charles Soludo.

San Francisco (THEWILL) – Self-styled Godfather of Anambra politics, Chief Chris Uba has accused Professor Charles Soludo and his close aids of orchestrating the abduction of his (Soludo’s) father to get the sympathy of Anambra voters in next year’s gubernatorial poll. In his defence, Uba alleged that it is almost impossible to kidnap Pa Soludo considering that he had good security at all times.

Hear him "Soludo brought a rumour last night that they kidnapped his father but to my greatest surprise I was called this afternoon that the Commissioner of Police in Awka said that Soludo is accusing me as the person who kidnapped his father. Please, I want Nigerians to judge between me and Soludo who among us is a criminal?”

Hear him rant on "Now, he is telling Nigerians that his father was kidnapped. I see that he wants to use his father to play politics. Soludo knows where he hid his father and if he is ready, let him go and bring him out. How can anybody kidnap Soludo's father with all the security around him and in the entire family compound. Was all the security men attached to him killed or hypnotised at the time? I don't believe the false alarm and no amount of blackmail can stop me from fighting. I will continue fighting until the right thing is done in Anambra State”.

In a sharp twist to the whole saga, the Soludo campaign has said that the abductors have made contact and want N500 million as ransom. A source has also informed THEWILL that another group calling itself “Omega 12” has requested a ransom demand of N5 billion.

THEWILL in a three-way telephone chat with a top police chief in Awka, Anambra on Wednesday afternoon local time, gathered that a team of investigators are looking at the circumstances that led to the abduction of the 78 year-old man. According to the police boss, Soludo’s mansion had atleast ten mobile police on guard at all times. When pressed further on what could have happened, he said the team was seriously looking at insiders in Soludo’s mansion considering that no shots were fired at the residence and that a Peugeot 406 car took the man away. As at the time of the chat, the abductors had not made any contacts with the family.

There are reports that the whole episode has a political underlining with both Soludo and Uba accusing each other of orchestrating the abduction.

Chris Uba is not new to controversies; in 2003 he orchestrated the kidnap of then Anambra governor, Dr. Ngige and got away with it because of his association with ex president Obansanjo.

Uba, according to reports has been invited for questioning by the Anambra State police Commissioner, Philemon Leha. The Commissioner has named Chris Uba a prime suspect. Since the stakes are so high now, we may never know who the abductor(s) is/are.

The country’s Inspector-General of police Ogbonaya Onovo has expressed his frustrations with the increasing level of politically and financially motivated abductions of people especially in the Eastern and Niger Delta States.