Official of Petroleum Regulatory Commission Abducted in Akwa Ibom

An official of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission at Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Stanley Okwekwe, has reportedly been abducted. A witness told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday that the victim was abducted by four men at the front of his residence in Eket at about 9:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The abductors have reportedly established contact with Mr Okwekwe’s wife. The victim’s wife is said to have reported the incident to the management of the regulatory commission on Monday. “The family has accepted to pay the sum of N10 million as ransom,” the witness said.

When NAN contacted the police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, he said the police did not have information on the abduction.

The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission has a statutory responsibility to ensure that oil and gas firms in Nigeria comply with the country’s petroleum laws, regulations, and guidelines. The commission has a field office in Eket which monitors the operations of oil and gas firms in Akwa Ibom State.

Abduction for ransom is now one of the dominant crimes across various Nigerian cities.Politicians, entrepreneurs, and just anyone with good financial worth, including schoolchildren, are easy targets. NAN reports that a woman – an entrepreneur – residing in Ata-Idung Afaha Eket in the Eket Local Government Area, was abducted on 9 April.

Source: Premium Times