Kidnappers reduce Siasia’s mother ransom to N20m …as family appeals, offers N1m

Pauline Onyibe, Yenagao

IGP Adamu

The mother of former Super Eagle coach, Samson Siasia, is still in kidnappers' den more than four weeks after she was abducted.

This was even as fresh information reached the New Telegraph that the kidnappers, who had earlier demand N70million ransom, have reduced it to N20m.

The woman, Beauty Ogere Siasia, 76, was kidnapped alongside two of her relations Florence Daunana, 65 and her 17-year-old granddaughter Selekere Daunana.

Speaking with New Telegraph at the weekend, the younger brother of Samson Siasia, Dennis Siasia, on phone, said that the kidnapers were now demanding for N20million, a move from the earlier N70million demand.

Dennis said: “The kidnappers are now demanding N20m as ransom. But we have told them that we didn’t have such an amount of money. We have been begging them to accept N1m. After we made the appeal, they said it was all right, that we should no longer speak with them. That was the situation as at Friday. Our mother has been there now over a month and one week.”

He said they were praying that the kidnappers would accept what they were offering and allow their aged mother to return home. 

Asked if they had spoken with her, Denis said: “The kidnappers didn’t allow us to speak with her, but we could hear talking at the background. They said if we give them good money, they would be taking care of her. They took her with two persons and all of them are still there. We are just praying that God should intervene.”

Beauty and two others were abducted at about 2:00 a.m. in Odoni, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.

This would be the second time that Beauty had been abducted. The first time, was less than four years ago, and the family had to pay millions paid as ransom before she was released.

The Balyesa Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Asinim Butswat, when contacted to tell the New Telegraph the latest development on the abduction of the old woman, said that investigation was still ongoing.

The banning of Samson from football activities by FIFA for life after being found guilty of bribery may have added salt to injury for the former coach, who it was learnt, was slammed a fine of CHF 50,000 ($51K).