A former governorship aspirant in the 2019 election in Plateau State, Nkemi Nicholas Nshe, has been kidnapped by gunmen.
According to reports, Nshe, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party who had served as the chairman of Shendam Local Government Area of the state at different periods in the past, was kidnapped at his residence in the council area on New Year Day.
Governor Simon Lalong hails from Shendam LGA in the Southern Zone.
Nshe’s abduction came barely 24 hours after kidnappers released a traditional ruler in the neighbouring central zone of the state, Charles Mato Dakat.
Before his release, the traditional ruler was abducted by gunmen at his palace in Gindiri community, Mangu LGA last Sunday around 1am.
He spent five days in the hands of the kidnappers who had demanded N500 million ransom.
Although troops of the Military Taskforce in charge of maintaining peace in the state, otherwise known as Operation Safe Haven, said they arrested eight persons in connection with the kidnap of the monarch, they were unable to disclose if any ransom was eventually paid to secure his freedom
However, sources in Shendam LGA confirmed the latest abduction on Sunday
An associate of Nshe in Shendam, who lamented the abduction of the former council boss, said that the incident was causing tension in the Council area.
He said, “Please join us in praying for the release of Dr Nkemi Nshe who was forcefully kidnapped from his Shendam residence in the early hours of Saturday being the New Year day, January 1, 2022. It was in the night that the gunmen came to his house and whisked him away. They did not go with his phone.
“The incident is rather unfortunate. We don’t know where they have taken him to. But yesterday evening (Saturday), I learnt that the kidnappers called the family members through the phone number of the son and demanded N100 million ransom which they later reduced to N50 million.”
