A deepening mystery surrounds the disappearance of a University of Uyo student who was abducted and never returned even after his family reportedly paid a negotiated ransom.
The father of a University of Uyo student who was abducted in December last year has raised the alarm over his son’s continued disappearance, months after paying a ransom that was supposed to secure his release.
Pastor Aniefiok Asian’s son, Utibe, a 300-level Theatre Arts student, went missing on December 3, 2025, after receiving a call from an unknown number that lured him out to an undisclosed location, from which he never returned.
According to the father, the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of ₦30 million, which was gradually negotiated down to ₦500,000.
The reduced amount was paid via a bank transfer on December 13, 2025, after which the abductors directed him to travel to Abak to pick up his son.
However, from the moment the payment was made, all communication from the kidnappers ceased, and Utibe has not been seen or heard from since.
Pastor Asian disclosed that he reported the abduction to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Akwa Ibom Police Command on December 5, 2025, where a statement was taken and an investigating officer assigned to the case.
He also said he had brought the matter to the attention of the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Internal Security, Major General Uko Essien (retd), as well as the Department of State Security, but said none of these efforts had yielded any results, as security agencies were unable to track the kidnappers despite clues provided to them.
He has since written a formal petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Baba Mohammad Azare, and is now appealing directly to the Inspector General of Police to intervene and deploy all available security resources to rescue his son and bring those responsible to justice.
When reached for comment, Commissioner Azare said the command had not yet been officially informed of the case through its formal channels, and advised the family to file a report through the appropriate process, promising immediate follow-up once that was done.