Bayelsa: Abducted Female Commissioner, Sarafina Otazi, Released After 30 Days (Pictured)

Sarafina Otazi
The Commissioner for Local Government
Bayelsa, Madam Sarafina Otazi who was
kidnapped on December 20 in Otueke on her way
to Ewoi Community in Ogbia local Government
of Bayelsa State has been released by her
abductors in the early hours of Thursday.
According to Comrade Alagoa Morris, a well
known environmental rights activist and human
rights crusader who confirmed the cheery news
this morning to PM NEWS..
''If information just received is true (and I have
99% reasons to believe it is true), then the
commissioner (lady) who was kidnapped in
Bayelsa state has been released by her
abductors in the early hours of Thursday.
''The kidnappers dropped her in (Ondewari,) my
community in Southern Ijaw local government
area of the state at about 3:00 am and zoomed
off in their speed boat.
''Very unfortunately they are putting my
community in bad light.'' He said, adding that,
''she was later made to board one of the
speedboats leaving the community this morning
for Yenagoa around 7:00am.''
Alagoa did not however disclose how much
ransom was paid to secure her release.
He said as expected, ransom was paid before
her eventual release and that her kidnappers
were said to have demanded for N20 million.
He explained further that after the leadership of
the Ondewari community got the information of
Otazi’s presence they took her to the home of
the acting chief of the community and she was
later escorted by the Community Development
Committee leadership, out of the community to
Yenagoa.
Otazi was seized at gun point and forcibly taken
away on December 20 at Otuoke while on her
way to Ewoi community in Ogbia local
government area for a funeral.
The kidnappers, according to her family
members, earlier established contact with them
and were demanding a ransom of over N20
million to set her free.
A family member, Endurance Frank, had earlier
confirmed contact with the abductors while she
was in captivity.
Otazi had served as Commissioner for Women
Affairs and acting chairman of Ogbia local
government council.
Bayelsa Police Command is yet to react to the
release of the commissioner.