Abductors of Senator Ayo Arise demand ₦80m ransom

The gunmen who abducted a former Nigerian senator have demanded
a ransom of N80 million, a family source told our reporter on
Monday.

Senator Ayo Arise who represented Ekiti North senatorial
district in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 was kidnapped
yesterday by armed men while travelling to Abuja, multiple reliable
sources said. He was travelling without armed escorts.

Sources close to the family confirmed the incident but refused
to speak more about the incident, as there no contact has been made
by his abductors as at press time.

Senator Arise was said to have attended some events over the
weekend in Ado Ekiti, the state capital and Ikere Ekiti on
Saturday. He also took part in a golf knock around with friends on
Sunday at the Ado Ekiti Golf Club along Poly Road, Ado Ekiti.

The US-trained economist, who represented Ekiti North in the
National Assembly under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party,
(PDP) between 2007 and 2011, defected to the ruling All
Progressives Congress, shortly before the Governorship elections
that ousted former Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi in 2015.

Recently, a former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly,
Mr Rafiu Isiaka and one Jacob Olugbade were abducted by gunmen in
the state. They were released after spending 11 days in
captivity.

Both claimed they were kidnapped by armed Fulani men and that
they paid 10 million to secure their release.

The gunmen who abducted a former Nigerian senator have demanded
a ransom of N80 million, a family source told our reporter on
Monday.

Senator Ayo Arise who represented Ekiti North senatorial
district in the Senate between 2007 and 2011 was kidnapped
yesterday by armed men while travelling to Abuja, multiple reliable
sources said. He was travelling without armed escorts.

Sources close to the family confirmed the incident but refused
to speak more about the incident, as there no contact has been made
by his abductors as at press time.

Senator Arise was said to have attended some events over the
weekend in Ado Ekiti, the state capital and Ikere Ekiti on
Saturday. He also took part in a golf knock around with friends on
Sunday at the Ado Ekiti Golf Club along Poly Road, Ado Ekiti.

The US-trained economist, who represented Ekiti North in the
National Assembly under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party,
(PDP) between 2007 and 2011, defected to the ruling All
Progressives Congress, shortly before the Governorship elections
that ousted former Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi in 2015.

Recently, a former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly,
Mr Rafiu Isiaka and one Jacob Olugbade were abducted by gunmen in
the state. They were released after spending 11 days in
captivity.

Both claimed they were kidnapped by armed Fulani men and that
they paid 10 million to secure their release.