Gunmen abduct ex-PS

DESPITE the efforts at stemming the tide of kidnapping in Kogi State, gunmen have again abducted a retired permanent secretary in the state civil service, Moses Onivehu.

The 70 years old man was said to have been kidnapped at about 5pm on Sunday around Kabba junction on the Okene-Lokoja road.

The victim, who left the Kogi State civil service as the permanent secretary, ministry of health was said to be on his way to Ilorin when the unknown gunmen overpowered and whisked him away.

The gunmen, it was gathered, had been on the highway robbing people of their valuables when Onivehu ran into them and was immediately flagged down in his sport utility vehicle.

They however opted to kidnap him instead of robbing him and took him to an unknown destination.

The abductors were said to have contacted one of the children of victim and demanded for a ransom of N50 million.

The wife of the victim, who spoke on phone, confirmed the incident and pleaded with the abductors to release her husband who she said, was nursing a fragile health.

It would be recalled that the increase in kidnapping rate made the authorities of the Nigeria Police to deploy special force in Kogi to save the situation.

The development has also made the police to carry out a major shakeup in the state command of the police by redeploying a sizable number of officers from the state.