The Registrar of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Mr. Collins
Onyenwenu, who was abducted last weekend by gunmen, has regained his
freedom after reportedly paying a ransom of N5 million. SaharaReporters
learned that the registrar was released on Tuesday after four days in
the kidnappers’ custody.
The gunmen seized Mr. Onyenwenu
around 3.30 pm last Saturday. He was at the time traveling in his
official car along Ugiliamai/Onitcha-Ukwu Road in Ndokwa East Local
Government Area of the state.
Speaking with SaharaReporters on
condition of anonymity, a family member of the freed Registrar disclosed
that the kidnappers had initially demanded a ransom of N30 million,
adding that they reduced the amount to N20 million and finally to N5
million, which was paid to secure the registrar's release. The source
said he suspected the registrar's abduction was connected to the
polytechnic's recent sacking of 200 employees.
Confirming the
release of the registrar, a senior lecturer at the Polytechnic told our
correspondent that he and some staff of the institution believe the
kidnappers came from among the more than 200 employees laid off by the
Polytechnic. According to the lecturer, many of the sacked employees had
in 2015 paid the registrar bribes of between N150, 000 and N200, 000 in
order to secure employment at the institution. Governor Ifeanyi Okowa
of Delta State recently dismissed many of those employees.
"The
truth is that these persons spent fortunes to secure their appointments.
And they paid the huge sums to the registrar, Collins Onyenwenu, during
the administration of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan. All the employees
were duly issued employment letters and went through the biometrics
screening in Asaba. All of a sudden, when Governor Ifeanyi Okowa assumed
office, the appointments were invalidated on the grounds that the
workers did not go through the normal process."
The lecturer
added: "A day after the registrar was kidnapped, at night the kidnappers
went to the residence in Ogwashi-Uku of the registrar's cousin, named
Collins. Collins was not at home. The kidnappers left a message with his
wife to pass on to him. They said the registrar should refund all the
monies he collected in exchange for facilitating their failed
employment. They threatened to kill him [the registrar] if he failed to
comply."
The lecturer alleged that the registrar used Collins and
another cousin named Henry as fronts to collect bribes from job
seekers, adding that Henry reportedly left Nigeria once the employments
were terminated.
Speaking to SaharaReporters Thursday, the
freed registrar said his kidnap had nothing to do with employment issues
at the Polytechnic, adding that those who kidnapped him were Fulani
herdsmen.
On the reported N5 million ransom, the registrar insisted he did not pay any ransom to his kidnappers.
“I
was kidnapped at Ugiliamai along Iselegu-Utagba Uno-Obiaruku Road and
taken to Ossisa where I was released," he said. The Delta State Police
Public Relations Officer, Andrew Aniamaka, stated that no arrests had
been made so far, adding that the investigation was continuing.
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