Journalist sends phone credit, not money, to wife’s kidnappers

Abductors of Mrs. Mariam Onoyume,the wife of the Rivers State Correspondent of Vanguard Newspapers, Jimitota Onoyume,have asked to be paid N10million to free her.

But all the journalist husband has been able to afford was to send some phone credit cards to the abductors.

Onoyume told P.M.NEWS today that the kidnappers have contacted him and are demanding 10Million Naira and recharge card.

“I have been able to send the recharge card.But where on earth will I get that kind of money,a poor journalist. I plead that they should not harm my wife.”

His wife, Mariam, was kidnapped on Monday morning by four armed men from her residence at Eku community in Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta
State as she was about driving out of the compound in a Nissan Quest SUV with plate number EF 988 BEN.

Mariam is a teacher.

The Rivers State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned in strong terms, her abduction.

In a statement signed by its Assistant Secretary, Anayo Onukwugha, the Union wondered why of recent, Nigerian journalists and their families have been targets of armed robbery attacks, kidnapping, and assassination.

The statement also wondered where all the monies voted yearly for improvement of security and training and re-training of security agents in the country go when innocent Nigerians are molested and often hacked to death by hoodlums, who operate without being challenged.

While calling for the unconditional release of the woman, the Union appealed to security agencies to do all they can to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped victim unharmed.