By Victor Kanayo
Masked gun-wielding men have abducted up to six female grassroots footballers in Nigeria.
The incident, Heritage Times HT gathered occurred on Friday evening at a community known as Oronigbe in Edo State, South-south Nigeria.
They were said to have been kidnapped around 6pm (local time) while returning from a football competition in another community – Owa-Alero in Ika North-East Local Government Area of Delta state, also in South-south Nigeria.
According to the husband to one of the victims who spoke to this medium on Saturday, the abductors had established contact with the victims’ family members and demanded N5 million as ransom for each of them.
According to him, “they went to Owa-Alero to play football match, so, on their way back, they were kidnapped at Oronigbe area, the boundary between Delta and Edo state.
“Some of the victims are Mrs Precious Agbajor, that is my wife, one Abraham, Nancy, Beatrice including the driver. They are six in number that are in kidnapper’s den. The matter has been reported to Oronigbe police station.
“The kidnappers have contacted us, and asked me to pay N5 million for my wife. In fact, I’m confused as I speak to you now.”
Already, the Police authorities have confirmed the incident.
Kidnapping, an aspect of insecurity bedevilling the West African nation, has persisted with many killed after they failed to meet ransom pay within a stipulated period.
However, footballers who always move from place to place have hardly been victims of abduction in both northern and southern part of the country.
