Sources close to the former local government chairman said he was abducted on Friday, around Ochadamu in Ofu Local Government Area of the state while on his way to his country home.

Ekpa was said to be making preparations for his late father’s burial before the incident took place.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kogi State Police Command, Williams Ayah, also confirmed the abduction, saying a patrol team attached to the Ofu area discovered an abandoned car along the road in Ochadamu.

He said that on close scrutiny, they found an abandoned ID card in the vehicle bearing the name Emmanuel Isaac Ekpa, apparently indicating he was kidnapped by gunmen.

According to the Commissioner of Police, some officers have been deployed to track the culprits and rescue the victim.

While it has been gathered that the kidnappers are demanding a ransom of N25 million, the family of the victim is currently said to be negotiating to pay N1 million.