Kidnappers still holding my son after collecting N500,000 ransom – Akwa Ibom pastor

Mr Aniefiok Assian, a pastor of the Solid Rock Kingdom Church in Akwa Ibom State, shares with CHUKWUDI AKASIKE the pain of his 23-year-old son’s abduction and his hope that he will return to him hale and hearty

How did you get to know about your son’s abduction?

It was on December 3, 2025, that the kidnappers called us and told us that my son, Utibeabasi, had been kidnapped. They told us that we needed to pay a N30m ransom. So, we negotiated and agreed to pay N500,000. The ransom was paid into the account of one Uzo Onuoha Enterprise through a PoS.

What circumstances led to his abduction?

My son left home in the morning, saying he was going out to buy cloth to sew and wear to our church convention in 2025, which was held here in Uyo. He said that after buying the material from the market, he would go to the workers’ council, still in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital. From that day till today, we have not seen him.