From Tony Osauzo, Benin
Gunmen have reportedly abducted six grassroots female footballers in Uronigbe, a border community between Edo and Delta States in Orhionmwon Local Government Area of Edo State.
The footballers were said to have been abducted around 6 pm on Friday while returning from a football match at Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta State.
According to a source, the kidnappers have contacted some families of the victims, demanding a ransom of N5 million for each of them.
“They (footballers) went to Owa-Alero to play a football match. So, on their way back, they were kidnapped at the Uronigbe area, the boundary between Delta and Edo States.
“The victims include Mrs Precious Agbajor, one Abraham, Nancy, Beatrice including the driver. They are six in number that are in the kidnappers’ den. The matter has been reported to the Uronigbe police station.
“The kidnappers have contacted the family of Agbajor and asked them to pay N5 million for his wife”, the source added.
Related: Kidnappers demand N30 million to free abducted female footballers
The spokesman of the Delta State Police Command, DSP Bright Edafe, while confirming the incident, said it happened in Edo State.
But his Edo State counterpart, Chidi Nwabuzor, said from the record available at the State Command, that there is no information about the incident.
“You know we transmit our records to Force Headquarters every day. There is no such record before us. From the Command’s record, no such incident happened yesterday (Friday) so the police will not give an account of anything unreported.
“It is only when an incident is reported that the police can act on it. In most cases, citizens are not aware of the powers to report incidents. So, the record I have from the Command is that no such incident happened yesterday (Friday), today (Saturday) and even the day before yesterday (Thursday).”