Gunmen kidnap former Anambra lawmaker and one other

Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped a former Anambra State House of Assembly member, Sylvester Okeke.

Okeke was kidnapped alongside another person, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, close to a military checkpoint along the Ring Road in Awka, the state capital, while returning from a town union meeting.

A family source told Punch that the kidnappers have called the former legislator’s family members and demanded for a ransom.

The source said;

“He is the national vice president of the union. After the meeting, he went to his shop in Agulu, where he sells wine.

“We learnt that it was while he was going back to Awka that he was kidnapped. He was said to be alone in his car. And we learned that they were two that were kidnapped.

“So, the second person might be the owner of the second vehicle that is behind his own, but nobody knows the identity of that person yet.”

Daily Trust also reported that a source in the ex-legislator’s Agulu hometown in the Anaocha Local Government area of the state said Okeke had been missing since Friday evening.

The source said;

“He (Hon. Okeke) attended a meeting of the national leadership of Agulu Peoples Union last Friday which ended before 4 pm. He is the national vice president of the union. After the meeting, he branched off to his shop in Agulu where he sells wine.

“We learned that it was while he was going back to Awka that he was kidnapped. He was said to be alone in his car. And we learned that they were two that were kidnapped. So, the second person might be the owner of the second vehicle that was behind his own, but, nobody knows the identity of that person yet.”

The source added that the kidnappers had called the former legislator’s family members and demanded ransom.

“The family members of the former lawmakers are handling the issue discreetly so as not to make any public statement that could jeopardise the chances of negotiating his freedom.”