Date Published: 08/18/09

Nollywood Star Pete Edochie released

Pete Edochie

After about 24 hours in the custody of his kidnappers, veteran actor, Pete Edochie, regained his freedom Monday night after an undisclosed amount of money was paid as ransom to his captors.

According to his son, Uche Edochie, Pete, who on Monday last  week was named Chairman, Electoral Committee of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), was released last night after the family had paid certain amount of money.

The kidnappers had earlier demanded N50 million as ransom to release him, but as the family pleaded with the captors that they could not raise such amount, they reduced their demand to N10 million. But when finally a compromise was reached with the family, the amount paid as ransom was not made public.

Edochie was kidnapped on Sunday on his way to his country home, Enugu, in the company of his family members. Armed men stopped his car and forcefully ejected him. Reports had it that three persons were shot dead while trying to foil the kidnap.

As the actor’s ordeal was made public, Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, with the State Police Command and vigilance group was reported to have organised a search party for him.

Confirming the development, Chairman of AGN, Anambra State chapter, Mr. Ezenna Agu, said the groups came together to organise a search party.

Edochie became a household name in the movie industry and Nigeria, when in the 80s he starred as Okonkwo in the television play of Chinua Achebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart. He has also made his mark as a Nollywood star, featuring in about 100 movies.

Recently, he was appointed a member of the Rebrand Project, a programme initiated by the Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. Dora Akunyili, aimed at projecting the image of Nigeria abroad.

Members of the Actors Guild of Nigeria who spoke on the kidnap saga, condemned the new twist in criminality in Nigeria, positing that they had expected that only government officials and money bags were the targets of the kidnappers, whom they alleged were making illegal money from the families of their victims.

Until the news came in this morning that Pete Edochie has regained his freedom, actors and actress had planned a peaceful demonstration in Lagos, to carry placards to the office of the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo.

With his release last night, Pete Edochie, a chief in his country home in Anambra State can now join his family and continue with the task ahead, to organise a credible poll for the AGN in October