The Boko Haram Islamist sect has made public its demands before it would release the former Minister of Petroleum, Dr Shettima Ali Monguno, whom they kidnapped yesterday afternoon.
“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 for the release of their detained members,” the ex-minister’s son, Abubakar Ali Monguno told AFP.
Efforts to get confirmation of the demands from the Borno State Police Command failed as the Public Relations Officer did not answer calls made to his line and had not responded to text messages as at press time.
The 92-year old Monguno, who was a Minister of Petroleum between 1972 and 1975, after serving as a Member of Parliament in 1959, Education Secretary and Councillor for Education, Works and Social Welfare in Borno Province, Local Government 1959-65, Federal minister for Air Force and internal affair 1965-66 and Federal Commissioner for Trade and Industries 1967-71.
He also held the rotating presidency of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in 1972, was leader of the Nigerian delegation to UNCAD II in New Delhi, India in 1968 and a member of the Nigerian delegation to the United Nations for 10 years.
He was also the Chairman of the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council and a member, Constituent Assembly from 1977 – 1978.
He has since been living in Maiduguri, Borno State where he has devoted himself to educational causes, such as his donation of a female hostel to the University of Maiduguri and of his entire library collection to the Borno State Library Board.
He is also the Chairman, Borno Elders’ Forum, who have been vocal in making suggestions in the way the Boko Haram insurgency should be handled.
Also yesterday, the Dikwa Local Government secretary, AlhajiKachallahUmara was killed on Thursday at his residence at the Gomari Ward, Maiduguri, around 7 p.m.
According to witness accounts, four gunmen entered Umara’s residence and requested to see him. When they could not get him, they left temporarily only to return to the house when they saw one of his wives entering the house. They then forced their way in.
“We heard gunshots and then the women started wailing. We waited in our houses until we were certain that it was safe to go out,” a source told Saturday Tribune.
He said after the gunmen shot Umara several times, they took off, then the people alerted security operatives who came and took the corpse to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).