A Nigerian poet, Oruz Kennedy, and an unconfirmed number of fellow bus passengers have been abducted.
Here’s all we know about the situation.
When did it happen?
According to information shared by a friend, Oruz Kennedy was kidnapped on Monday, September 11, on a journey from Abuja to Port Harcourt.
“The kidnap happened on Monday. It’s not just him but the entire passengers on the bus that were kidnapped. They were coming back from Abuja and got intercepted at Kogi.”
Kennedy had attended a literary festival in the capital city and was returning home when the unfortunate incident happened.
The poet’s last Twitter post was shared on the same day at 3:34 p.m., suggesting it was a few hours before his abduction.
Corroborating the story, another friend, @tamaragodubo, took to Twitter calling the attention of the public to the situation.
“An entire bus was intercepted and the passengers were kidnapped and nobody is talking about it?” she tweeted.
Kidnappers demand ₦20 million release
In a Twitter video shared on the same day, Kennedy’s wife, Faith, confirmed her husband’s kidnap. According to her, the kidnappers reached out demanding a ₦20 million ransom to secure his release.
“He was kidnapped on Monday on his way back from Abuja and the kidnappers are demanding ₦20m for his release. Most people have been calling to tell me it’s a prank, it’s fake and the rest. I’ve been the one the kidnappers have been reaching out to and I know what I heard.”
Friends crowdfund to secure Kennedy’s release
Friends, family members and acquaintances have since taken to social media in a race to raise the ₦20 million ransom to secure Kennedy’s release.
However, on Wednesday, September 13, @tamaradogubo returned to Twitter announcing that the ransom had been slashed to ₦5 million. According to her, the kidnapper gave an ultimatum of 9 a.m., Thursday, September 14.
@tamaradogubo returned saying ₦4 million had been raised out of the new ransom. However, she claimed that the abductors insisted on getting the full amount before releasing him.
Have the authorities been informed?
Zikoko understands that an official report was made to the police and the anti-kidnapping unit. However, Kenndy’s friend claimed, “There’s been no substantial feedback nor action from them”.
Several Nigerians on social media have equally tagged the handles of the local authorities to look into the matter.
What about the other passengers?
While Kennedy’s case has gained public attention, there are no updates regarding fellow passengers who were also kidnapped along with him.
This is a developing story.
