From Simeon Nwakaudu, Makurdi

The Guardian learnt that the driver was kidnapped on Saturday evening shortly after dropping his boss off at his residence in Makurdi.

A family friend of the Suswams who refused to disclose the name of the driver said that the armed gunmen later telephoned the federal lawmaker and demanded a ransom of N5 million.

The source added that Suswam called the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Azubuko Uduah who insisted that the federal lawmaker should not pay the ransom.

Consequently, the Police Commissioner set the entire security apparatus in the state on red alert to stop the armed gunmen from leaving the state.

But it was gathered that negotiations with the gunmen on the release of the kidnapped driver continued throughout the night. The driver was eventually released in the early hours of the morning.

When The Guardian visited the residence of Suswam on Sunday his supporters were seen discussing the kidnap of the driver. Some feared that the lawmaker might have been targeted by the gunmen if he had been in the car with his driver. Suswam, the House Committee Chairman on Appropriation could not be reached for comments as his aides said he was in a state of shock.

The Benue State Police Commissioner confirmed the incident. He stated that the long arm of the law was trailing the culprits, saying that they would soon be apprehended.