Dreaded insurgent group, Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the kidnapped of of Borno elder stateman, Alhaji Shettima Ali Munguno and is asking for the release of all its members in prison before he wold be released.
Ali Munguno, 92, a former minister of Petroleum was kidnapped in Maiduguri, Borno State by gunmen shortly after prayers on Friday.
Eye-witnesses at the scene of the incidence say Monguno was kidnapped by members of the Boko Haram sect who came to the scene on a tricycle popularly referred to as ‘Keke Napep’ while he was about entering his car to leave the mosque.
Speaking concerning the demand of the group, the ex-minister’s son, Abubakar Ali Munguno said “The abductors got in touch and they put my father through on the phone, he spoke to us and said that he was fine. They made a ransom demand.”
Although he did not give details of the demand, sources say the sect aside the ransome the son said they demanded has also aksekd for the release of all its members imprisoned by the Federal and Borno state government as a pre-condition for the release of the elder statesman.
A family member of the abducted statesman who spoke to the abductors said they noticed South-Eastern Igbo accent, while they communicated with mixes of pidgin English. The source said none of them could speak in Kanuri or Hausa language when they spoke with the representative of the Mongunos.
Monguno has been critical in the manner the Boko Haram insurgency has been handled and is one of the proponents of dialogue and amnesty for militant sect. He was among the group of elders who met with President Goodluck Jonathan in Maiduguri in March to discuss the Boko Haram crisis.
He served in various federal cabinet positions including minister of internal affairs, mines and power, petroleum and energy between 1965 and 1975.