Deltans to rescue kidnapped colleagues unharmed, ASUU DELSU tells Govt.

MEMEBERS of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, have called on the state government, security agencies and Deltans to expedite the rescue of Dr Boniface Anyanwu and Mr Nnamdi Nwachukwu, son of another lecturer, Professor Austin Nwachukwu, from the hands of their abductors.

Dr Anyanwu, a senior lecturer with the Department of Theatre Arts, DELSU and Mr Nwachukwu were abducted around 2:00 a.m Saturday morning from the home of the latter at Obiaruku, cruelly crammed into the booth of his car and whisked away to an unknown destination.

The hoodlums on Sunday evening reached out to the wife of Dr Anyanwu, Dr Mrs Anyanwu demanding N10 million each as a ransom for the release of the victims.

Besides kidnapping Dr Anyanwu, who is said to be asthmatic, the kidnappers also made away with valuables such as two laptops, phones and an unspecified amount of money.

Chairman and secretary of ASUU DELSU, Professor Abel Diakparomre and Dr Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, at a press conference on Monday in Abraka, called for the unconditional rescue of the duo from the stranglehold of the abductors.

ALSO READ: Kidnappers of asthmatic DELSU lecturer demand N20m ransom

The union bemoaned the sudden resumption of the abduction of lecturers, and/or members of their family, on whose shoulders the future of several future leaders hangs, describing the resurgence as not only unacceptable but bizarre and primitive.

Addressing the press conference at Abraka on Monday, Professor Abel Diakparomre said: “It is with utmost sadness that we have to address a press conference once again on the incidence kidnapping of lecturers and/or members of their family.

“The latest of these incidents is the kidnap of one of our lecturers, Dr. Boniface Chukwuma Anyanwu, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts and Mr. Nnamdi Nwachukwu, son of another lecturer (Professor Austin Nwachukwu of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education) who live at Obiaruku (a neighbouring community to Abraka).

“This incident occurred at about 3.00 am on Saturday, February 03, 2018. The kidnap victims were taken away in the booth of Dr Boniface Anyanwu’s car.

“The kidnappers have since made contact with the families of the kidnap victims demanding Ten Million Naira ransom for the release of each of the victims. This is totally unacceptable.

“The kidnap of lecturers, and/or members of their family, is not only unacceptable, it is bizarre and primitive.

“Academics, all over the world, are the springboard of society’s growth and development.

“This is so because of their role in imparting knowledge to persons who later become builders of societies.

“A society that has no respect for an intellectual resource is destined for doom and damnation.

“The security of lecturers, and indeed every citizen, rests squarely on the shoulders of Government. Indeed, it is a primary responsibility of Government to protect lives and properties of citizens.
The Government of Delta State cannot shy away from this responsibility.

“We, members of the academic community in Abraka, had thought that the era of kidnapping, especially the kidnapping of Delta State University lecturers, which was very pervasive some years back, had become a thing of the past.”

Professor  Diakparomre, however, warned that “The resurgence of this criminal activity cannot be tolerated or allowed to fester.”

According to him, “Apart from the danger to the individual lecturers, it is a total disgrace to the nation’s image and the psyche of the populace.

“It is hardly heard of, anywhere in the world, that University lecturers are maltreated, let alone kidnapped.

“It is on record that Nigerian lecturers are among the most sought-after intellectuals in the world.

“Many of these have however chosen to remain in Nigeria to contribute to their quota to the reinventing and regeneration of our society in spite of the not very conducive environment in which they work and the lean wages.

“To have hoodlums wanting to squeeze them further through kidnap is crossing the threshold. It is pathetic that the extremely patriotic ones who have chosen to stay behind to help build the nation are being picked for ransom by criminally-minded persons and groups.

“The solution to all these lies squarely with Government. We, therefore, call on the Delta State Government, and all the security agencies, to save us from the tyranny of these persons with warped perception of contemporary society and especially intervene in this debacle and quickly set in motion operations for the immediate rescue of Dr Anyanwu and Mr Nwachukwu from the hands of their abductors.

“We also call on the generality of Deltans to assist in the rescue of these hapless and harmless citizens who are themselves victims of the current socio-economic quagmire that the country has found itself.

“ASUU-DELSU demands that Dr Boniface Anyanwu and Mr Nnamdi Nwachukwu be rescued immediately from their abductors or released by the kidnappers without harm and unconditionally immediately.”

It will be recalled that members of the union, were a few years ago, more or fewer guinea pigs in the hands of lethal kidnappers who kidnapped them at will for ransoms while the whereabouts of a few are yet to be unravelled by security agencies.

One of such victims was Dr Mrs Grace Mokobia, who was kidnapped from her matrimonial bed around early 2013 and her whereabouts yet unknown in spite of ransoms paid to her abductors.