Sophia Michaels
The criminal elements that abducted Mrs Abigail Orbunde, the wife of Terwase Orbunde, a former Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, alongside their housemaid, Patience Ogute, are demanding a ransom of N100 million for their release.
Tahav Argezua, a close ally of Orbunde, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
Eyewitnesses said Orbunde, his wife, and the house help had gone to inspect the weeding of their farm located close to the road.
After paying the workers, five gunmen attacked them and ordered their victims to follow them to an unknown destination, but discarded bleeding Orbunde who was too slow to keep pace.
The abductors warned both victims would be killed if the ransom was not paid.
His words, “The abductors of wife and cook of former Chief of Staff to the Benue State Governor, Terwase Orbunde, yesterday evening have demanded N100m ransom for their release.”
Argezua added that Orbunde, who is currently receiving treatment for gunshot wounds at an undisclosed hospital in Makurdi, stated that the abductors communicated with him through the captives at around 8:30 a.m. on Saturday.
He added, “The former Chief of Staff said his wife and cook were very calm when they spoke with him.
“He revealed that during the attack, which took place at about 6 p.m. yesterday, the gunmen spoke Fulani among themselves and communicated with him in Hausa, saying they would contact him on the phone.
“The former Chief of Staff said they told him that he should be prepared to send money to them and that if he failed to do that, they would kill his wife and cook.”
