Family Cries for Help as Missing UNIUYO Student Remains Unaccounted for After Ransom Payment
A 300-level Theatre Arts student of the University of Uyo, Utibe Asian, has reportedly been missing since December 2, 2025, after leaving home to meet someone who called him on the phone. His family believes he was kidnapped. According to his father, Pastor Aniefiok Asian, the suspected abductors demanded N30 million ransom, which was later reduced to N500,000. The family paid the money through a Moniepoint account on December 13, hoping to secure Utibe’s release, but he was never returned and communication from the kidnappers stopped afterward.
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The family of a 300-level Theatre Arts student at the University of Uyo, Mr. Utibe Asian, has raised alarm over his continued disappearance months after he was allegedly kidnapped in Akwa Ibom State.
Utibe, who hails from Obio Etoi in Uyo Local Government Area, reportedly went missing on December 2, 2025, after receiving a phone call from a friend who asked him to come to an undisclosed location. According to family sources, he left home that day and has not been seen since.
Speaking with journalists in Uyo on Tuesday, the victim’s father, Pastor Aniefiok Asian, recounted the painful ordeal, saying the family has been living in uncertainty and fear ever since the incident occurred.
According to him, suspected kidnappers contacted the family on December 3 and initially demanded a ransom of N30 million for Utibe’s release. The amount was later reduced to N500,000, which the family reportedly paid on December 13, 2025, through a Moniepoint PoS account allegedly linked to one “Uzor Onuoha Enterprise Bank.”
Pastor Asian said the abductors instructed him to travel to Abak to pick up his son after the payment was made. However, after the transfer, communication from the kidnappers suddenly stopped, and the family has neither heard from Utibe nor received further demands.
The distraught father explained that the matter was first reported to the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command on December 5, 2025. He claimed that statements were taken and an Investigative Police Officer was assigned to the case.
In a petition submitted to security agencies, the family detailed how the kidnappers allegedly used both the suspect’s phone number and Utibe’s mobile line to communicate ransom demands.
Pastor Asian also disclosed that the case was reported to the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Internal Security, but expressed disappointment that no meaningful progress has been made despite clues allegedly provided to investigators.
Fighting back tears, he appealed directly to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to intervene and ensure a proper rescue operation is launched.
“I still believe the security agencies can do their work. I want the IGP to form a rescue team to bring back my son. At least, the perpetrators should be identified and brought to justice,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Akwa Ibom State, Baba Mohammed Azare, reportedly stated that the matter had not been formally reported through the command’s official channels. He advised the family to submit the complaint properly, assuring that the police would immediately investigate the case once the process is completed.
The incident has sparked concern among residents and students in the state, with many calling for intensified efforts to tackle insecurity and ensure the safe return of the missing undergraduate.
