The family of a former senator from Akwa Ibom State, Nelson Effiong, has cried out that the ex-lawmaker is still in the captivity of his abductors, having spent 22 days.
Recall that Effiong, who represented Akwa Ibom South Senatorial district in the 8th National Assembly, was kidnapped on Sunday, September 5, 2021, at about 9pm while relaxing in his lounge in Uyo, the state capital.
It was learnt that the assailants drove into his premises in a Toyota Camry car and shot sporadically into the air, scaring away people before carting the former senator away.
There were rumours earlier in the state that the victim had regained his freedom after his family paid the ransom demanded by the kidnappers.
But a relative of the senator, Uyoh Effiong, in an interview with journalists in Uyo, said his brother was still in the kidnappers’ den, adding people had been calling him to congratulate him over the release of his brother but he insisted that the information is fake.
He said, “They have not released him. He is still there. The news that he has been released is fake. If they had released him, remember I promised that I will inform you about it. So that news is a fake one.
“A lot of people have been calling me, telling me congratulations about his release, but it is not true that he has regained his freedom.
“In fact we have been worried and we are praying that he should be released because it is three weeks and one day today since he was abducted.”
Reacting, the Police Public Relations Officer, Odiko Macedon, said the command was not aware of any information about his release.
He said “We are not privy to that information. I don’t report on unofficial channels like I keep saying, so I cannot talk about it. For now, the command is not aware”
