Kidnappers abduct Enugu Commissioner

By TONY EDIKE

THE Enugu State Commissioner for Special Duties in the Governor’s office, Mr.Sunday Chukwuani, has been abducted by suspected kidnappers in Enugu.

He was kidnapped at an undisclosed place within the Enugu capital city Friday night but details of the incident could not be ascertained by press time yesterday.

Sources said the commissioner, who was redeployed from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to the Governor’s Office few months ago, fell into the hands of his abductors after the day’s activities but the particular spot where he was picked up has not been identified.

Chukwuani was driving in his private Toyota Camry car at the time of the incident, but it was not known if he was taken away in his own car.

The commissioner, who lives in the suburb of Enugu, was said to have met with his wife somewhere in Enugu urban Friday evening before the wife returned to their residence awaiting his return.

“The Hon. Commissioner does not live in Enugu, he lives in the suburb. His wife came to town in the evening and met with him somewhere after which she left for their home expecting her husband to return in the evening after the day’s work.

But, surprisingly, the commissioner did not return as expected and efforts by the wife to contact him on phone to find out why he had not returned proved abortive as all his telephone lines were switched off.

“The woman became worried and contacted some officials of the government but all to no avail. The kidnappers only called a government official yesterday claiming that they were holding the commissioner and made demands for ransom,” the sources said.

It was further gathered that the kidnappers called the commissioner’s brother on phone yesterday and demanded an undisclosed amount as ransom warning that they would keep him until the amount which runs into millions of naira was paid.

Chukwuani, who hails from Ozalla in Nkanu West Local Government Area, is the second top official of the Enugu State government to be abducted since the kidnap saga commenced in the South East zone early last year.

Those who spoke on the development yesterday expressed fears that the hoodlums may have shifted their nefarious activities to other states within the South Eastern states following the raid on their hideouts and detention camps within Abia State, believed to be their major operational base.

They, however, urged the Federal Government to deploy soldiers to all the states within the zone to protect the innocent citizens from the activities of the kidnappers.