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THE NATION, SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2013
Driver’s family to Edo lawmaker:
We suspect foul play in our son’s kidnap •Their accusation is borne out of illiteracy—Lawmaker
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•Hon. Edoror •Victor's wife at the Assembly gate
•Kidnap victim,Victor
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I am not sure this is kidnapping anymore. I went to his house to demand for my husband but he asked his security details to drive me away...He does not call us. He said the kidnappers gave him a cell phone and N3,000 but that he cannot make calls with the phone except the kidnappers called him
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ELICIA Igbinovia is currently in agony. At the corner of the gate leading to the Edo State House of Assembly, she sat weeping inconsolably. At times, she would jump up running around shouting for whoever cares to prevail on Hon. Victor Edoror to bring her husband back. She has joined her husband’s family to lead a threeday protest to the Assembly Complex over the whereabouts of her husband, Victor. Her husband is a civil servant attached to Hon. Edoror who is representing Esan Central Constituency in the house. Edoror is a first-term lawmaker elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). On Sunday February 3, Hon. Edoror called Victor to take him to a function at his constituency and on their way back, unknown gunmen waylaid them and abducted the lawmaker and his driver at Irrua, administrative headquarters of Esan Central.
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•Another relative in protest over the kidnapped driver
Osagie OTABOR, Benin Two weeks later, Hon. Edoror was released but his driver is yet to be seen or heard from. The kidnappers are not calling to make any ransom demand. A lawmaker told The Nation that the kidnappers never mentioned the driver during the period of negotiation for the release of Hon. Edoror. The questions on the lips of Victor’s family are: Where is our
son? If he were killed, where is his body? A three-day protest by the family members to the premises of the Edo State House of Assembly paralysed activities at the complex as workers were locked out for several hours before policemen intervened and restored order. The family said they are suspecting foul play about the fate of their son, alleging that the lawmaker is not showing enough concern to ensure the release of their son. Placards carried by the family members had inscriptions such as: ‘Edoror, bring back our son’; ‘Where is our son, your driver?’ ‘Tell us what you have done to our
The accusation that I have used their son for rituals is borne out of illiteracy. It is uncivilised. Look at my hands, I was tied for two weeks. I was kept in a cubicle and couldn’t stand straight. I sympathise with the family. I don’t want to believe that the driver was a part of my kidnapping. He is very close to me. I took him as my younger brother. I attend to his private needs. The security agencies should determine whether he was one of them or not
son’. ‘Why are you silent on our son’s release?’ Felicia alleged that Edoror asked security officials to chase her away when she went to demand the whereabouts of her husband. She said: “Edoror called my husband on Saturday to take him to Irrua, that one of his relatives had an accident. Since that day, I have been waiting for my husband and I have not seen him. I asked the lawmaker, he said he didn’t see my husband, that they were kept in different places. They came to my house three times asking me not to worry, that if the lawmaker is released, my husband would also be released. “I am not sure this is kidnapping anymore. I went to his house to demand for my husband but he asked his security details to drive me away. One threatened to shoot me and I dared him to shoot. “He does not call us. He said the kidnappers gave him a cell phone and N3,000 but that he cannot make calls with the phone except tend to his private needs. The sethe kidnappers called him.” curity agencies should determine An elder brother of the driver, whether he was one of them or Osahon, said the lawmaker has not. refused to meet with them over “The truth is that it is myopic their missing brother. for them to think that I am a rituReacting, however, Hon. Edoror alist. How can I use somebody said it was uncivilised and myo- for rituals? In no distant time, the pic of the family to accuse him of truth will come out. I have known using his driver for rituals. He the driver for three months now. said the kidnappers were yet to I am an open person. When I was contact him or make any demand with the kidnappers, they never for the release of his driver. discussed about my driver. What Edoror explained that the kid- surprised me was that the kidnappers took his driver away in nappers told me I wasted their his yet-to-be registered official ve- time because I had a little delay. hicle, adding that the kidnappers, “When the incident happened, did not mention his driver dur- the driver drove towards the kiding his two weeks’ ordeal in their nappers’ vehicle that had den. blocked us. He parked the car He said he heard gunshots and ran out towards them holdwhile in the kidnappers’ jeep and ing his head. I was shocked at they told him that his driver had the way the driver surrendered been shot. to them easily. I was dumbAccording to him, “I have been founded. I thought, how could putting heads together with the the driver run out of the vehicle? family to look for what to do. The They took him away to the other kidnappers are not calling. They car and left me in the jeep. They are not asking for anything. put him in my car and the other “The accusation that I have used car. They were eight all of them their son for rituals is borne out armed with assault rifles. I canof illiteracy. It is uncivilised. Look not do thanksgiving now beat my hands, I was tied for two cause I have not seen my driver.” weeks. I was kept in a cubicle and It was gathered that Governor couldn’t stand straight. ISSSAdams Oshiomhole has mansympathise with the family. I dated the Directorate of the State don’t want to believe that the Security Services and the State driver was a part of my kidnap- Police Command to resolve the ping. He is very close to me. I took kidnap saga and rescue the him as my younger brother. I at- driver.
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