There is confusion and uncertainty over the kidnap of former senator and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Ayo Arise, as security agencies have no clue about his kidnap.
Mr. Arise was reportedly kidnapped while on his way to Abuja on Sunday evening, after attending some political meetings in Ekiti.
PREMIUM TIMES investigations revealed that police commands in the four states of Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Kogi which share a common border along the area the politician was said to have been kidnapped, are yet to account for any kidnap incident involving Mr. Arise.
Ekiti State Police Public Relations Officer, Alberto Adeyemi, who earlier confirmed the incident, however, said he could not make comments because it did not happen within his jurisdiction.
Asked where it happened, he said, “I cannot say, I am not allowed to comment on incidents that did not happen within my jurisdiction.”
Efforts to get a response from the Ondo State Police Command also met a brick wall as it had no idea where the senator was kidnapped.
Police spokesperson in the state, Femi Joseph, said the incident did not take place within the Ondo State jurisdiction. He however promised to do more to get clearer details of the incident.
In Kogi State where it was thought the kidnap took place, the police formation sad it was yet to get any information or report of kidnapping in the state.
William Aya, the Kogi Police Public Relations Officer, told PREMIUM TIMES that the command was yet to receive any report of the kidnap of the senator.
The Edo State Police Command also had no information on the whereabouts of the senator, as the command claimed no report had been made about him.
“We do not have any report on the kidnapping of Senator Ayo Arise, I am not sure we have any such report,” Edo State Commissioner of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, said.
“Maybe it happened in Ondo or Kogi state, but there is no report of any kidnapping of the senator in Edo.”
When PREMIUM TIMES correspondent informed him that the states mentioned had already denied knowledge of the incident, he said he would do some investigation and get back to the reporter.
Meanwhile, it was earlier gathered that the abductors of the senator had contacted the family with a demand of N80 million ransom.
The APC in Ekiti State has reacted to the situation, calling on security agencies to help in not only locating the whereabouts of Mr. Arise, but rescue him unhurt as soon as possible.
The spokesperson of the party, who said Mr. Arise was last heard of Sunday evening, noted that the party was worried that the rate of kidnapping of Ekiti citizens had been on the increase.
According to him, the Arise incident would be the third in a series of kidnapping of Ekiti citizens, allegedly targeting members of the APC.
He said the information on the incident was still scanty and efforts were underway to get a clearer picture of what happened.
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