“If My Wife Is Alive, Let Them Bring Her Out” — Husband Cries Out as Wife Is Not Released With Other Freed Ministry of Defence Staff

Families of two Ministry of Defence staff still in captivity have raised alarm after their loved ones were not released alongside four colleagues freed by kidnappers. Six female staff members were abducted on November 9 while travelling from Lagos to Abuja for a promotional exam. They had boarded an Andy Liz Motors Limited bus from First Gate, Festac, before running into the kidnappers at Kabba.

The victims were identified as Mrs Ngozi Ibeziakor, Mrs Catherine Essien, Mrs Helen Ezeakor, Mrs C.A. Ladoye, Mrs Juliana Onwuzurike and Mrs Chinwe Adline Emeribe. After ransom was paid, only four were released. Mrs Emeribe and Mrs Onwuzurike have remained missing, leaving their families distraught.

A Ministry of Defence staff member told reporters that a driver from the transport company delivered the ransom as instructed by the kidnappers. According to him, the driver was supposed to return the victims to their takeoff point in Festac, but he instead claimed to have dropped each woman at bus stops near their homes. When he arrived at the park with an empty bus, he reportedly informed waiting family members that only four women had been freed.

The source expressed frustration that the Ministry has provided no updates on the whereabouts of the two missing women and criticised what he described as a lack of urgency in the investigation. He also questioned why the victims had been ordered to travel to Abuja for an exam that had already transitioned to a computer-based format meant to be written from any location.

Mr Nnamdi Emeribe, husband of the missing Mrs Chinwe Emeribe, said efforts to trace his wife have been met with silence and obstacles. He said the Command Secondary School, Ojo, where his wife worked, has offered no useful support, and the Ministry of Defence has not contacted the families since the incident.

He explained that after reporting the matter to police in Festac, they were told the case had been transferred to Panti. When they visited the Anti-Kidnapping unit, they were informed that the transport company had sent a lawyer who claimed there were no suspects. Attempts by investigators to reach the lawyer and summon the company’s drivers reportedly failed, as calls were ignored.

Mr Emeribe said the families have also struggled to obtain information from the four released women, as relatives say they are still recovering from trauma. He voiced disappointment that neither the Ministry, the school, nor the staff union had provided assistance.

He added that the transport company’s director led ransom negotiations and that both the company and families contributed to the payment. His own family paid more than six million naira for his wife alone, yet he still has no answers.

Appealing for help, he urged authorities and the public to intervene so the two remaining victims can be found.

“If my wife is alive, let them bring her out. If she is not, let us at least know what happened,” he said.