TheCable

Chief Benson Ayerite Adigio-Eseni, the uncle of former governor of Bayelsa state, Timipre Sylva who was  abducted by unknown gunmen on July 28, has died in captivity and has been buried in mysterious circumstances.

A fully-armed gang had stormed the 86-year-old’s residence at Okpoama in Brass local government of Bayelsa, around 1am, shooting sporadically before whisking him away.

They later contacted the family to demand a huge ransom; and even though an agreement of N5m was reached for his release, the octogenarian died before help could reach him, making his captors to bury him to cover their tracks.

One of the suspects arrested confessed to the police that the man slumped while eating and was buried about a month ago in a neighbouring village between Rivers and Bayelsa.

“The old man looked sick. At night, while he was eating, he started choking and he slumped. We rushed to his aid but he died before we could help him,” he said.

“We buried him in a shallow grave at the entrance of Kula community, a border town between Rivers and Bayelsa states.”

The suspect said but for the greed of the gang’s leader, the man would not have died.

“We begged our leader to release the man because as at that time the family had refused to discuss ransom.”