Abducted In Enugu, Actress Okereke Says Her Husband Delivered Ransom Money To Her Abductors In Ngwa

By Adesina Soyooye

One of the abducted and, recently, released Nollywood Actors, Cynthia Okereke, has debunked the story that no ransom was paid to her abductors before she was released. Okereke revealed that her husband took the ransom money to the kidnappers at Ngwa, Abia State.

Okereke and another Actor, Clemens Cornell, were kidnapped in Enugu State on their way back from a location where they had gone to shoot a home video.

They were released on August 5, 2022, after seven days in captivity.

On their release, the Actors Guild of Nigeria had given the impression that money did not exchange hands before their release. The Guild claimed that the abductors were touched by the Spirit to release them.

Their abductors had asked for the sum of 100 US Dollars for their release.

But in an interview with the PUNCH on Sunday, Okereke put a lie to that claim. Even though she refused to say how much was paid before her release, she revealed that her husband took the ransom money to the kidnappers at Ngwa, Abia State.

She also revealed that their abductors knew her by name, even though they claimed she was not the target. “Cynthia Okereke, you think we don’t know you?”, they asked her.

When the kidnappers intercepted them at Centenary junction Enugu and began to shoot, Okereke said she offered them her car. But they refused the offer, and instead, wrapped them in a tarpaulin and took them to where they informed them was Ebonyi State.

“When they captured us at Centenary junction in Enugu, they said Cynthia Okereke, you think we don’t know you? So, I asked them what they wanted and pleaded that they should take my car when they shot into the air. They said they did not need the car.

“We were wrapped with a tarpaulin and taken to an unknown destination.  It was the following morning that one of them asked me if I knew where I was. I said I didn’t know, and he told me we were in Ebonyi State.”

As if to debunk the claim in some quarters that they were kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen, Okereke said their abductors urged Nollywood to support the vision of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB, who is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on sundry issues including alleged terrorism and treasonable felony.

“They said Nollywood is not supporting Nnamdi Kanu, that we should come out en masse to support him. According to them, Kanu is fighting for every one.”

On how they were treated, she said the first two days were rough and tough.

Her words: “They did not give me anything. For the first two days I was there I was not given any food. It was on the third day they gave me milk and a malt drink. Because my stomach was empty, I knew that I would vomit if I took it, so I declined.”

Okereke has since rejoined her family while her colleague is still, allegedly, in hospital.