The family of a former driver to the Deputy Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Edoror, has appealed to security agencies to investigate his disappearance, four years after he was allegedly abducted.
Edoror, representing Esan Central was allegedly kidnapped with his driver, Mr. Victor Igbinovia, at Irua in February, 2013, but was later released by his captors while the whereabouts of Igbinovia remained unknown.
The elder sister of the missing driver, Mrs. Adesuwa Igunbor, who spoke when she led the wife and daughter of her brother in protest at the state secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Benin, expressed sadness over the alleged lack of action from the lawmaker and security operatives.
But reacting, the lawmaker said that the matter was already before the police.
"I am on the way to Esan. The matter is already with the police," Edoror said.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Johnson Kokumo, could not be reached for comments as calls put across to his telephone number did not connect.
However, Igunbor lamented that absence of Igbinovia had created a burden for his wife, Felicia, and daughter, Osamudiamen, who was said to be barely two years old when her father went missing.
She explained that his brother had left his home after he allegedly received a call from his boss to drive him to Irrua on February 2, 2013.
She said, "After the call, my brother told his wife that he would return the next day, being February 3, and afterwards embarked on the journey.
"When his wife called him the next day, he told her that he was on his way back to Benin and that she should prepare rice for him."
Igunbor said that subsequent calls put across to his brother's mobile phone did not go through, a development which she said had prompted the family to protest at the assembly complex where they were later informed that Igbinovia and his boss had been kidnapped.
According to her, after two weeks of the abduction, she got information that they had been released but later discovered that only the lawmaker returned.
Igunbor further explained that the family members were allegedly informed later by Edoror that he and the driver were taken to separate locations by the gunmen.
"Edoror further told us that the hoodlums only gave him a mobile phone when he was released and told him that they (hoodlums) will call him. Edoror, nonetheless, told us that we should be patient, noting that he suspects (that) the kidnappers were holding the driver hostage because they may want to demand another ransom," she added.
Explaining further, she said, "Days after, the family members decided to visit Edoror at his official residence to inquire if there is any news from the kidnappers. We were, however, taken aback when he claimed that he has dropped the said phone at the police station and that we should go to the police."
Source: The Punch
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