Anxiety mounts over kidnapped lecturer

THERE is anxiety among family members, friends, associates and the Igbanke community in Orhionmwon Local Council of Edo State over the kidnap of an Associate Professor in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Dr. Paul Erie.

By tomorrow, he would have spent three weeks with his abductors as he was kidnapped in Igbanke on June 16.

The people of the community are particularly worried because Erie is a high profile chief in the community while the family members are anxious.

The Guardian reliably gathered that some money was deposited somewhere by the family as instructed by the abductors a week ago, with the promise that their bread-winner would be released a few hours later, but since then, nothing has been heard and the abductors have also stopped communicating with the family.

His colleagues from AAU on Friday staged a peaceful protest in Ekpoma carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs. They took their peaceful protest to the Ekpoma Police Station, palace of the monarch of Ekpoma, the popular Market Square in the town to register their grievances.

Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), AAU Chapter, Prof. Fred Esumeh, explained that the protest was to bring to the public domain once more of the unending spate of kidnapping of its members or spouses of members in Ekpoma and environs.

He recalled that more than eight AAU-ASUU staff members had been kidnapped in the past, calling on the security agents and the governor of Edo State, the Chief Security Officer, to come to their rescue.

“Teaching and learning cannot take place in an environment where fear reigns supreme and insecurity is the order of the day.”

“We believe that this ugly trend has become pervasive and almost a normal thing because little or nothing has been done to apprehend the hoodlums as they seem to be having a field day in their nefarious business”, he lamented.

The Guardian learnt that official complaints had been lodged with the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Security (DSS).