- ‘We Paid N500,000 Ransom, Yet My Son Never Returned’ – Akwa Ibom Pastor
- Family paid N500,000 ransom but victim was not released.
- Father remains hopeful despite months of uncertainty.
A pastor with the Solid Rock Kingdom Church in Akwa Ibom State, Mr Aniefiok Assian, has cried out over the disappearance of his 23-year-old son, Utibeabasi Assian, who was allegedly abducted in December 2025 and has not been seen since.
EDITOR’S PICKS
- Tinubu Meets Anyim, Abiodun, Other APC Leaders After Primary Election
- Fresh Details Emerge In Tragic Death Of Three Sisters Found In UK Sea
- Tinubu Orders 50% Reduction in Train Fares for Eid-el-Kabir Travellers
EKO HOT BLOG reports that speaking on the painful experience, the cleric said the family received a call from suspected kidnappers on December 3, 2025, informing them that their son had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of N30 million.
According to him, after negotiations, the kidnappers agreed to accept N500,000, which was paid through a Point of Sale transaction into an account identified as Uzo Onuoha Enterprise.
Assian said his son, a final-year Theatre Arts student at the University of Uyo and a devoted church choir leader, had left home that morning to purchase clothing materials for the church’s annual convention before heading to a workers’ council meeting in Uyo.
“From that day till today, we have not seen him,” the pastor said.
He explained that after the ransom payment, the abductors instructed him and his wife to wait at Ekom Iman Junction in Abak Local Government Area, where their son was supposedly to be released. However, the kidnappers never called again.
The distraught father said he reported the incident to the police anti-kidnapping unit, the Department of State Services and the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, but expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in the investigation.
While commending officers of the anti-kidnapping unit for their efforts, he alleged that several leads, including phone records and details linked to the ransom payment, were not thoroughly pursued.
Assian also revealed that his son had previously been involved in a dispute with some youths in the church after objecting to symbols he believed were associated with cultism. He claimed the young men threatened his son, though police investigations reportedly found no direct link between them and the disappearance.
Despite months of uncertainty, the pastor said he remains hopeful that his son will return safely.
“My heart is broken, but I still trust God. My son is a dedicated servant of God, and I believe he will come back to us,” he said.
