N30m ransom: Police arrest wife of abducted ruler in Bayelsa

Investigation into the abduction of a traditional ruler at Okordia, in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, King Richard Seiba, took another dimension at the weekend, as police authorities arrested the wife of the traditional ruler, Evelyn, for engaging in telephone conversations with the kidnappers of his husband.

Nigerian Tribune was authoritatively informed that the detectives from the Bayelsa State police command swooped on the wife on Saturday, at her residence, over alleged discussions and negotiation with the abductors of her husband on the phone.

The development, which further heightened the tension at Ikarama community, where Chief Seiba was seized by gunmen about two Saturdays ago, shocked the villagers and family members of the ruler.

Credible sources close to the Seiba’s family disclosed to the the Nigerian Tribune that the security agents, who came to apprehend the wife of the abducted ruler, said she was only being invited to assist the police in tracking the suspected kidnappers, but was subsequently detained for talking to the hoodlums in telephone conversations for more than twice last week.

Pleas made by the ruler’s wife to convince the police that the suspected abductors might have got her phone number from his kidnapped husband were ignored.

Checks by the Nigerian Tribune indicated that the kidnappers had called the first son of the traditional ruler, Glory Seiba, on his mobile phone a few days ago, instructing him to meet them in a bush at Kaiama, in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of the state to give them an unspecified sum.

It was gathered that Glory went to the location with some soldiers, but apparently sensing danger, the kidnappers were said to have relocated to another undisclosed location with a view to evade arrest by the soldiers.

 When contacted on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, DSP Fidelis Odunna, confirmed the invitation of the king’s wife  by the police, saying she was not under interrogation, but “she is assisting the police in their investigations.”