By Akinwale Kasali
The joy of every mother is to have a successful, famous son. It is every mother’s pride. But, in the case of one woman, Mrs Ogere Betty Siasia, her son’s fame and success are her nemesis, her curse, and, a death warrant, almost.
Her son is former Super Eagles player and coach, Samson Yebowei Siasia. And the irony: It Siasia’s kinsmen, who, instead of celebrating him, break his heart by kidnapping his mother. Two times, she has been kidnapped, and tortured emotionally.
In the instant case, she was kept for 72 days, and released only on Sunday. Cried the 80- year- old woman on her release, “They say they kidnap me because my son is a millionaire”.
Mrs Siasia had been abducted since July 15th, 2019, from her Odoni residence in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
According to the Bayelsa State Police Command, she was released on Sunday. Before her release, a relation who was sent to deliver money for her release about two weeks ago, was, also abducted. Both were released on Sunday. While Mrs Siasia said she was not physically tortured, the ransome money bearer said he was tortured morning, afternoon and night.
Incidentally, while she was in the kidnappers’ den, her famous son was banned for life, by FIFA, from taking part in any football activities over alleged match fixing.
Confirming her release, the Police Public Relation Officer of the Bayelsa State Police Command, ASP Butswat, said she regained freedom from her abductors early Sunday Morning, but did not immediately give details of the development.
Her kidnappers had demanded about N100m, which they kept reducing.
This is not the first time Siasia’s mother will be abducted by kidnappers. In November 2015, she suffered the same fate, and was later released, with the family not disclosing whether any ransom was paid for her release or not, just like now. This time, she was released in a community Unknown to her, and had to find her way home.
