From Joe Effiong
The paramount ruler of Esit Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Edidem Ubong Peter Assam, abducted penultimate Monday has regained freedom. Edidem Assam, Daily Sun learnt, was released yesterday after the family parted with N15 million as ransom to the kidnappers.
A reliable source said, " I cannot lie to you, ransom was paid. It was about N15 million," The monarch was said to have been dropped along Oron beach by the kidnappers, who escaped afterwards without any trace.
The kidnappers had abducted the monarch from his palace and ferried him offshore where he had spent the past 10 days in their custody. The leader of Eket Federal Constituency Vanguard (EFCV), a youth group that had been protesting the non-payment of oil spill compensation to affected communities in the area, Mr Isaiah Abia, who confirmed the release of the monarch to Daily Sun, said though he was "weak, he was in high spirit."
Abia had earlier told our correspondent that the kidnappers rejected N12 million offered them by the family and had insisted on collecting N100 million.
The Akwa Ibom State police commissioner, Mr Umar Gwadabe confirmed the news of the release of the monarch.
Meanwhile, the EFCV has suspended its week-long peaceful protest following the intervention by the state government.
"The Secretary to the state government, Mr Udom Emmanuel, intervened and pleaded with us to call off the protest as the state government would intervene. So, we had to give respect to the state government and call off the strike for now," Abia said.
He said that the protest would however, resume in the next 14 days if the intervention by the state government does not yield the expected result, which is payment of N26.5 billion the four local government areas demanded as compensation for the devastation they suffered due to the oil spill that allegedly leaked from offshore facilities of ExxonMobil last year.
Abia said: "Even if we don't insist on N26.5 billion because we are humans, Mobil must offer something very reasonable.
"There is no way we can accept N2.6 billion which Mobil offered us, which is just 10 per cent of our demand. We can't accept that. It must be something very reasonable."
He commended his people, who took part in the peaceful protest. "It is note-worthy that after eight days, no property of Mobil was damaged, nobody was injured; we didn't harass anybody. We were very much organised because we believe that facilities at Mobil belong to us, so we cannot destroy our property," he said.
The release of the kidnapped royal father would form part of the negotiation with government which Abia said, would take place next Saturday.
"The amount demanded is beyond the family now. So, that would also be tabled at the negotiation. We need our royal father freed as soon as possible."
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