Gunmen kidnap Borno politician, Stephen Marama

The kidnappers asked Mr. Marama’s family to link them with Governor Shettima or Senator Ndume within an hour.
Gunmen have kidnapped a former Borno governorship aspirant in the state.
Family sources said Stephen Marama, a governorship aspirant during the 1979 general elections, was on Saturday kidnapped while on his way back to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He had visited his country home, Marama, in Hawul Local Government Area of the state.
The abductors reportedly took the politician away in his LX 760 jeep.
The kidnappers have threatened to kill the politician if his family fails to link them up with the Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima or the Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume.
The abductors had on Tuesday noon called the politician’s family warning them not to involve the security lest their father be killed. The abductors, who called using Mr. Marama’s phone number, instructed the eldest son, Bundi Madu, to link them with either Mr. Shettima or Mr. Ndume within one hour. They threatened to kill Mr. Marama if the family failed to carry out their instruction.
A family source who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said, “We have been trying to get across to Governor Kashim Shettima and Senator Ali Ndume but to avail. Now we are confused because the kidnappers who spoke with us using our father’s phone told us that if they did not get to speak with either the Borno state governor or Senator Ali Ndume in the next one hour, they will be left with no option than to execute him”.
Family members said they are confused as they expected the kidnappers to make a ransom demand. They said they were worried as the one hour ultimatum expired and they still have not heard from the abductors again.
“The kidnappers are aware that these people (Governor Shettima and Senator Ndume) are not easily reached, except by luck. I think they only want to kill him because they know there is no way we can get these people to ask them to speak to them within an hour. Our family has been disturbed since we received the call and was told that our father has been kidnapped”, said a relative.
Security agencies said they were not aware of the kidnap when PREMIUM TIMES contacted both the police and the Department of State Security, DSS.
Boko Haram abductors are known to ask for large sums of money from government and family members as ransom before they release any victim. Many residents of Maiduguri who are aware of the kidnap wonder what the abductors want for insisting on getting a direct link with top government officials.

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