Prince Agbor Onyi, the deputy governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, in Cross River State, has been kidnapped.
Onyi was kidnapped alongside three others on Thursday, March 16, 2023, around Akparavuni in Biase LGA, which has become notorious as kidnappers’ haven.
Sources close to the family said the kidnappers are already demanding a huge sum as ransom.
Early last week, Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Prof Gertrude Njar, was rescued after over one month in the kidnappers’ den following the reported payment of a huge amount as ransom.
In its statement signed by the state secretary, Comrade Fredrick Omari, the YPP said the incident has left both the family members of Onyi and the party heartbroken, bruised, and distressed.
“We have received with rude shock the depressing news of the kidnap of our Deputy Governorship candidate, Prince Agbor Onyi.
“The timing of this criminal act is very devastating to the party and is a very serious concern to us all. We, therefore, call on the Nigerian Police and all security agencies to swing into action with unaccustomed alacrity.
“We demand that our Deputy Governorship candidate be released from the kidnappers’ den immediately to enable him proceed to his community to perform his civic duty tomorrow.”
‘New naira policy has significantly reduced kidnapping, corruption’ – Malami
Abubakar Malami, the attorney general of the federation and minister of justice, has said that the introduction of naira redesign policy by Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, significantly reduced the rate of kidnappings in the country.
The AGF, in an interview with Radio Nigeria Kaduna, said there were positive sides of the policy which were not considered.
A seven-member panel of the Supreme Court led by John Okoro had restrained the CBN from banning the use of the old naira notes – N200, N500, and N1,000 – from February 10.
The apex court made the ruling in an ex parte application brought by three states: Kaduna, Kogi, and Zamfara.
Reacting to the ruling on Friday, February 10, 2023, Malami said, “I told you the case is still in court, we will obey the court order but we also have right to explain to court the positive sides of the policy.
“If you see the negative side of it, you have to see the positive sides. If these governors told the court the hardships been experienced as a result of the policy, there are also some problems that the policy is solving.
