Kidnappers of Bayelsa commissioner demand N40m ransom

Kidnappers of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s cousin and Bayelsa State Commissioner for Local Government Administration, Sarafina Otazi, have demanded N40million ransom from her family to free her.
It was gathered on Tuesday that Otazi’s abductors had contacted her family and asked for the sum of money to be paid before they would release her.


Otazi had been in the kidnappers’ den since December 20,2015 when she was taken hostage at gun point while travelling from her Otuoke community to Ewoi community in Ogbia Local Government Area for a burial event.

A former acting chairman of Ogbia Local Government Council, Otazi first served as Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development in the Governor Seriake Dickson-led administration before she was redeployed to the Ministry of Local Government and Administration.

A member of the family, Endurance Frank, confirmed the kidnappers’s demand of N40m ransom on Otazi.
He said the kidnappers insisted that the family must pay the money to regain her freedom.
Frank said the family, however, heaved a sigh of relief after hearing from the victim as there had been fear that she might have died in their custody.

He appealed to the kidnappers to release her unconditionally as the family does not have such amount of money.
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Governor Dickson’s younger sister, Nancy Dickson, who was kidnapped barely 24 hours after Otazi’s, has remained unknown.
The 26-year-old Dickson was abducted on broad daylight with her sales girl from her shop at Okaka area of the state capital,Yenagoa.
The challenge of insecurity has heightened in geo-metrical proportions in Bayelsa following the reports of incessant kidnappings, sea piracy, hand bag-snatching, burglary, gang-related violence and killings across the state.
Reports indicate that no fewer than 28 persons, among whom are government officials and their relations, were kidnapped by armed gangs within the last quarter of 2015.

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