Kidnappers Still Holding Pastor’s Son Months After Collecting ₦500,000 Ransom

An Akwa Ibom pastor, Aniefiok Assian, has cried out over the continued disappearance of his 23-year-old son, Utibeabasi, months after kidnappers allegedly collected a ₦500,000 ransom and promised to release him.

According to the pastor, his son went missing in December 2025 after leaving home in Uyo to purchase materials for a church convention and attend a church-related meeting. The family later received calls from suspected abductors demanding ₦30 million for his release.

After negotiations, the ransom demand was reportedly reduced to ₦500,000, which the family paid through a PoS transaction. The kidnappers allegedly instructed the family to travel to Abak Local Government Area to collect the victim, but no further contact was made after the payment.

The distraught father said he reported the matter to several security agencies, including the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, the Department of State Services, and the police, but claimed that efforts to secure his son’s release have not produced results.

He expressed frustration over what he described as delays and lack of progress in the investigation, despite information allegedly obtained from tracking exercises and financial transaction records linked to the ransom payment.

Utibeabasi, a Theatre Arts student at the University of Uyo, has not been seen or heard from since the incident. His family has appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and other security authorities to intensify efforts to locate him and bring those responsible to justice.