LAGOS – FORMER Super Eagles head coach Samson Siasia has expressed relieve following the release of his 80-year-old mother, Mrs Beauty Ogere Siasia, after 75 days in captivity.
Siasia, who had pleaded for help last week, said he was ‘relieved’ that his mother had been released safely.
“It’s been really tough but I’m pretty relieved that she’s finally released Sunday morning.
“I can only thank Nigerians and everyone involved in the safe return of my mother.
“She’s old and in poor health right now. I pray no one has to go through this emotional trauma,” he said.
Though it was not clear if a ransom was paid, jubilation erupted in Bayelsa State, Nigeria, following Mrs. Siasia’s release.
The state Police Command confirmed the release of Mrs. Siasia on Sunday.
Before the former Super Eagles head coach spoke, a member of the Siasia family, Eworikumo Siasia, also confirmed to Daily Afrika that the 80-year-old woman had been freed and she is at home with family members at their Odoni country home in Sagbama Local Government Area.
Daily Afrika had been focusing on her travails since she was abducted over two months ago.
Police Public Relations Officer Mr. Asinim Butswat, a Superintendent of Police, confirmed the release.
Her abduction was the second in three years as she had earlier been kidnapped in November 2015 and released after 12 days in captivity.
The former Super Eagles coach had repeatedly made series of appeal for the release of his mother while in captivity, until she was finally freed on Sunday.
Gunmen, in a commando-style, abducted the 76-year-old mother at her family compound in Odoni community of Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Odoni is one of the riverine communities in Bayelsa, and the crime of kidnapping and hostage-taking is very rampant in the area, just like most Niger Delta communities. Even on the popular East-West road, most especially the axis that leads from Bayelsa to Port Harcourt in Rivers State, the spat of kidnapping and robbery is alarming.
A family source said the kidnappers whisked away aged mother without taking along her blood pressure (BP) drugs and mobile phone to contact members of the family, expressing fear that the woman would be exposed to severe weather wherever they took her to.
Aside from Siasia’s mother, two other women were also kidnapped in the same community on that same day, a situation that generated fear among the residents of the area. Most people have already begun to relocate from the community due to the fear of the unknown.
In an emotion-laden voice, a family member, Moses, noted that the inability of their mother to remember phone numbers off-hand might have slowed down contacts from her abductors, saying that many days after the abduction, the abductors were yet to establish contact with the family.
It was learnt that in the recent past, activities of kidnappers and robbers were very rampant between Agbere and Odoni communities of Sagbama Local Government Area and it’s becoming worrisome to residents.
Mrs. Siasia suffered the same ugly incident in November 2015, when she was released 12 days after a reported payment of N.6 million ransom.
