http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article04/270607

Armed men kidnap lawmaker's three-year-old son
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt
ANOTHER dimension has been introduced to the criminal act of hostage taking in Rivers State as a three-year-old son of a state lawmaker was abducted in Port Harcourt yesterday.

Sources told The Guardian that the child, Master St. Michael Steward, was seized from a private nursery school, at Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, in the early hours of the day.

The kidnapped child is the son of a new member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Mrs. Linda Steward, representing Okrika Local Council.

Eye-witnesses said that three young men in their mid 20's drove to the school in an ash coloured Mazda saloon car and proceeded to the child's class and took him away.

One of the kidnappers wore a white shirt and a blue jeans trousers, while the two others that accompanied him wore coverall suspected to have been used to conceal their weapons in case they encountered any resistance.

It was learnt that the three men who were not resisted by anyone did not shoot during the incident.

After the abduction of the child, the kidnappers drove off towards the Iwofe area, which has remained a major exit to the creeks for hostage-takers.

Attempts by The Guardian to reach the lawmaker proved abortive as her phone was switched off. Another lawmaker who spoke to The Guardian on the condition of anonymity, said Mrs. Steward acted that way because she was traumatised.

The Rivers State Police Command yesterday ordered a stop-and-search of all vehicles in Port Harcourt and its environs as it intensified investigation into the saga.

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, who confirmed the abduction to The Guardian, said that the motive had not been ascertained.

He said: "For now, we don't know the motive. There are two possible areas that the police are exploring. One, there might be a political opponent of hers who is trying to embarrass the woman and secondly, we are looking at those who take care of the child."

Yesterday's incident was the second child abduction from a private school in Port Harcourt in the last two months. The first child has since been released to the parents.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article04/270607

Militants demand ransom on kidnapped toddler
From Kelvin Ebiri, Port Harcourt

KIDNAPPERS of the toddler, Master St. Michael Steward, have demanded an undisclosed amount as ransom for the release of the child. Michael, the son of a Rivers State legislator, Mrs. Linda Steward, was abducted from a private school, Tantua International School, Port Harcourt, on Tuesday.

The whereabouts of St. Michael remains unknown.

A source close to the legislature, who pleaded anonymity, disclosed to The Guardian that the kidnappers had called the parents of the child to demand for an unspecified amount of money.

Three armed young men said to be in their early 20's, had on Tuesday morning gone to Tantua International School, Elekahia Housing Estate, Port Harcourt, and kidnapped the three-year-old boy.

The source said the parents of the child are apprehensive over his safety and would want him released to them without further delay. According to him, the kidnappers alleged that the child was safe but declined to declare his whereabouts.

He said: "The guys want money from the parents. They are insisting that they must be paid before the child will be returned to his parents. I am not aware if they have issued any threat yet but I can confirm that they are demanding for ransom."

When contacted yesterday, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Felix Ogbaudu, said he was not aware of any group demanding for ransom from the parents of the child. He said Police investigation into the matter was still on.

Eyewitnesses told The Guardian on Tuesday that the three gunmen, after kidnapping the toddler, drove away in a Mazda saloon car towards Iwofe, one of the most notorious routes of kidnappers who often take their victims to the creeks to evade security agents.

Attempts to reach the lawmaker on phone yesterday proved abortive because her mobile phone was switched off since Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Police in the state have continued a stop-and-search of all vehicles in Port Harcourt and its environs.

St. Michael is the second child to be kidnapped from a private school in Port Harcourt. The first child has since been released to the parents.

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/news/article05

Source, please? We need a link to the website you copied this from. Thanks. This is for copyright sake.

Seun:

Source, please? We need a link to the website you copied this from. Thanks. This is for copyright sake.

The link is the first thing you find in the news. Thanks.

Thanks.

3 year old, very unfortunate. i would prefer if they kidnapped past goverment officials from that region, instead of expats and children

This goes to show the level of criminality and chaos going on in the Niger Delta. We are under siege out here!!!! A dynamite was thrown into a private residence in PH on monday morning , guess what?? the group demanded for =N=20m from the landlord to ward off further attacks.

Hope some would not call this CONTRIVED!!!!!

Na wa o!
while i think their grievance should be aimed at their leaders (political leaders) rather than expatriates, it is just inhuman and absolutely wicked to snatch a 3yr old child! I am horrified by the news. The people must be animals!

Where is Mohadana, the Ijaw noise maker?

Hmn. This one has political undertone. No cause for alarm, yet. And no one knows yet if these kidnappers are from some other ethnic groups parading themselves as Ijaws in Portharcourt. The ethnic group with much affinity for making money might be into this.

ono:

Hmn. This one has political undertone. No cause for alarm, yet. And no one knows yet if these kidnappers are from some other ethnic groups parading themselves as Ijaws in Portharcourt. The ethnic group with much affinity for making money might be into this.

[b]Affinity [/b]for money-making via kidnapping? No question about that.

chrisokw:

Affinity [/b]for money-making via kidnapping? No question about that.

Yea - as against [b]hostage taking. That's right.

Quit playing with words. Kidnapping=Hostage-taking; and it is clear whose stock in trade are those.

De thing be say;

Hostage taking = Taking whites adults and other people hostage for ransome - david pls take note!
Kidnapping = Taking kids for ransome

True, there is similarity, but they are different.

this is cruel, some people are devils in human form, a three years old child, for crying out loud what has a child done to deserve this sort of treatment, can't they just attack the parents if they got a beef and leave the child.

I tire o! they should have taken the womans husband!

I ask again, where is Mohadana?

Whatever they do in that place, whoever they want to kidnap, this should not be extended to kids who dont even know what the issues are. Such kidnapped kids would be so traumatised and its a bad way to show these kids the kind of society we are living in. I pray the kid comes out of this unscathed.

Alright, for the sake of balance, what is the latest thing that police is doing to fish out the kidnappers?

And would the person who pasted this story about Mohadana's Niger-Delta, also post an update on Docokwy's Fake Drugs Market in Onitsha?

laudate:

And would the person who pasted this story about Mohadana's Niger-Delta, also post an update on Docokwy's Fake Drugs Market in Onitsha?

Good comment! That, will definitely bring about the desired equilibrum

Is the Niger Delta the worst thing to have happened to Nigeria?

docokwy:

Is the Niger Delta the worst thing to have happened to Nigeria?

oil is the worst thing to happen to naija and that s real

he he he he he! I SAY E GO REACH EVERYBODY TURN! Nigeria is a lawless society and till everyone personally feels the "pinch" then we will sit up!

chrisokw:

I ask again, where is Mohadana?

chrisokw:

Where is Mohadana, the Ijaw noise maker?

Shay you guys complained he was "uneducated"? Mohadana has gone back to night school so he can blow big big gramma like most of you! he he he he he!

As much as I don't like or promote violent. I was one of the people in this forum that started saying that not until they start kidnapping the law makers children and family, they will get no result. The law makers are accountable and responsible for the well beings of their local citizens. This will open their eyes 1st class you can neglect the area and take all your money to London, but we will come after you and your family. This is a good move, and I hope nothing happen to the 3 year old. This is RUDE AWAKENING.

When law makers are stealing at the expense of their local people. They set the stage up for battle. We should all be responsible for our actions. If you don't want your family involve in drama DON'T BE A PUBLIC FIGURE.

i am nto surprised at the kidnapping at all, the so-called law makers do nothing but plan how much they are going to steal and how much each 1 of them gets. kidnap them all but plz do not hurt the kids.

@ph4life
two wrongs can't make it right.

They should demand for an account of stewardship from their political office holders. Kidnapping is a crime and as much as i understand the cause of their aggitation i do not appreciate violence