Following the kidnap of eight fishermen in Akwa Ibom State last week, their abductors are now demanding the sum of N8.8 million ransom from their families as condition for their release.
It was gathered that, barely one week after the dastardly act, the abductors on Thursday contacted the families of the fishermen and stakeholders in Ibeno for ransom.
Ibeno Local Government Chairman, Chief Williams Mkpah said that, the fishermen were asked to pay a ransom of N1.1m each before their release stressing, however, that, the fishermen do not have to pay any ransom to secure their release.
It would be recalled that, the victims were abducted between Thursday night, August 18 and Friday morning, August 19, 2016 on the Atlantic Ocean in Ibeno Local Government Area of the State.
Earlier, the sea-pirates wanted the fishermen to be paying the sum of N300, 000 monthly before they could be allowed to go to the sea to fish.
According to Mkpah, “The pirates kidnapped one of the fishermen and emptied his outboard engine and went away with all his belongings as well as the boys working with him”.
The abduction by the pirates is perceived as a reprisal attack on the fishermen following the apprehension of one of the pirates who was arrested sometime ago in Eket and who is now cooling off in police net at the police headquarters at Ikot Akpan Abia. He had been arrested while attempting to collect N3M ransom from one of the victim’s family.
Information also has it that, the pirates who are having a field day on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean operate from the Eastern Obolo flank to Mbo and Ibeno local government areas noting that, they were staying at creeks of Utana Iyata and creeks around the Cameroun borders to carry out their wicked activities.
