A former member of the National Assembly from Ekiti State, Senator Ayo Arise, was on Sunday evening, seized by suspected kidnappers with his driver and taken to an unknown location in neighboring Kogi State.
Arise, who represented Ekiti North between 2007 and 2011, was reportedly snatched between Okene and Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on his way to Abuja after attending some events in Ekiti State.
A source disclosed to SaharaReporters that the senator's abductors had contacted the family and demanded N80 million ransom.
The politician is a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of next year's governorship poll.
He dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before the 2015 general elections.
His abductors were said to have blocked Arise's Mercedes Benz Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
The Oye-born senator was said to have attended a ceremony at Ikere where chieftaincy titles were conferred on a former Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Tunde Ogunsakin, and his wife, Chinyere, by the Ogoga, Oba Adejimi Adu.
He reportedly played golf, his favorite game, at the Ado-Ekiti Golf Course on Poly Road before retiring to his country home for political meetings with his supporters.
An aide to the senator, who spoke in confidence said: "Yes, he visited Ekiti State on Saturday before returning to Abuja.
"When we wanted to establish contact with him, we could not. The last time I called him was around 6 p.m. So, the kidnap must have taken place around 7 p.m.
"They (abductors) have contacted us and demanded a sum of N80 million ransom. We are worried because we don't know his situation.
"The family is working hard to secure his release. We have contacted relevant agencies, including the police, to come to our aid."
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