Kidnappers Demand ₦1 Billion for Release of Chinese Expatriate, Nigerian Colleague Kidnapped in Kwara
By Omowumi Omotosho
A ransom of ₦1 billion has been demanded by the assailants responsible for the abduction of a Chinese national, Mr. Sam Xie Wie, and his Nigerian associate, Mr. David Adenaiye, following a violent raid on a mining facility in Kwara State.
The abduction occurred on Wednesday during an armed assault on the site, which tragically claimed the lives of two members of the Police Mobile Force who had been assigned to safeguard the expatriates.
The hefty demand was made public on Friday by security analyst Zagazola Makama through a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account. According to Makama, the kidnappers used the victims’ mobile phones to reach out to a contact named Mr. Leo Liang, insisting on the ₦1 billion payment in exchange for the captives’ release.
In response, both security forces and community vigilante groups have reportedly launched a coordinated search operation to locate and safely rescue the two men.
However, National Pilot efforts to get reaction of the spokesperson of the Kwara State Police Command, SP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi on Friday night proved abortive as she didn’t respond to the calls put through her line.
A message which reads: ” Good evening, Ma, I’m calling about the recent kidnapping at Oreke, there is a report that 1b naira has been requested by the kidnappers. What’s the Kwara police reaction to this Ma?” was unreplied till the time of filling this report.
