Six months after the abduction of a University of Uyo student, the family of the victim has cried out over his continued disappearance despite paying a N500,000 ransom to suspected kidnappers.
The missing student, Utibe Asian, a 300-level Theatre Arts undergraduate, was reportedly kidnapped on December 3, 2025, after receiving a suspicious phone call and leaving home to meet the caller somewhere within Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
His father, Pastor Aniefiok Asian, expressed frustration over the situation, accusing security agencies of failing to rescue his son despite several reports and petitions submitted to authorities.
According to him, the kidnappers initially demanded N30 million before later reducing the ransom to N500,000, which the family paid on December 13 in hopes of securing Utibe’s freedom.
The distraught father said the money was transferred into a Moniepoint PoS account allegedly provided by the abductors.
Speaking on the painful experience, Pastor Asian said the kidnappers instructed him to travel to Abak to pick up his son after the payment was made, but the student was never released.
“On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, my son, Mr Utibe Aniefiok Asian, was abducted by unknown persons within Uyo metropolis,” he said.
“Since then, we received calls from a suspected abductor using the number 09066935255, and sometimes my son’s phone number was also used to contact us.”
“The first demand was N30 million, but it was later reduced to N500,000, which we paid through a transfer to the Moniepoint account provided by the abductors.”
“After the payment, I was directed to go to Abak and pick up my child, but since that day, the abductors stopped calling, and we have neither seen nor heard from my son again,” he added.
Pastor Asian revealed that the matter was first reported to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on December 5, 2025.
According to him, statements were taken by officers while an investigating police officer was assigned to the case.
He added that separate petitions were also submitted to the Department of State Services, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Internal Security and the state Commissioner of Police.
The cleric lamented that despite providing what he described as useful clues to investigators, there has been no major breakthrough in the case.
He appealed directly to the Inspector-General of Police to intervene personally and deploy a special rescue team to locate his son and arrest those responsible for the abduction.
“I still believe the security agencies can do their work. I want the IGP to intervene and ensure my son is rescued. At the very least, those behind this crime should be identified and brought to justice,” he pleaded.
When contacted, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammed Azare, said the command had not officially received the matter through its approved reporting channels.
“I have advised the father of the victim to report the matter through our official channels. Once that is done, we will immediately commence necessary action,” the CP said.
