The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are yet to get in touch with the family of Nigeria Under 23 team coach, Samson Siasia, who was kidnapped 10 days ago, Dennis Siasia, a sibling to the ex-Nigeria international has claimed . Their matriarch, Mrs Ogere Siasia, was abducted at their family house in Bayelsa and whisked away on a motorcycle over a week ago, albeit the governing body made an appeal to the gunmen to free the 72 year-old, Dennis said, the NFF hasn’t contacted the family since the incident occurred.
The family who is yet to meet up with the outrageous demands of the kidnappers have also appealed to the Federal Government to track the kidnappers down and rescue their aged mother.
Dennis told NationSport, “It is disheartening that the NFF has not deemed it fit to get in touch with the family since the incident happened last week. They were only talking to Samson, who is far away in Gambia for national assignment, and, for us, we think this is not the appropriate thing to do as this might distract the coach from doing his job. For now, it is only the family they are supposed to have contacted because the coach is not here and they just need to leave him to focus on his duty because if the team fails to qualify they will blame him.
“The last time we spoke to the kidnappers was on Saturday, when they said they would bury Mama if we failed to meet their demand and we told them that we don’t have the kind of money they are requesting for as we were only able to raise N600, 000, from their voice, they were angry. As at this morning (Tuesday) they have not called and we have not heard from them. Although we spoke to Mama and I think she is okay.”
He also commended the efforts of the Bayelsa State Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Directorate of State Security (DSS).
“I must tell you that the CP and DSS Director have been working with the family on this and this has been how far we had gone. I must let them realize that Samson has served this country as a player, and now he is a coach on national assignment in Gambia and I don’t think he needs any distraction for now in Gambia.”
The latest development (as at this morning) is that the kidnappers have reduced the ransom to N32m.