JESSICA EDIONWELE: KIDNAPPED WITH LOVE

A few days ago a story emerged of a young lady, simply known as Jessica Edionwele, who was declared missing by her family. It turned out she was the daughter of Hon. Joseph Edionwele, representing the good people of Esan Constituency, Edo State at the National Assembly. She was reported to have left Ibadan, for Lagos to board an aircraft to Abuja. A corps member serving in Oyo state, she was said to have landed in Abuja safely but took an airport taxi that disappeared into thin air.

After waiting for their daughter to come back home safely, the family was thrown into pandemonium by nightfall as Jessica was nowhere to be found. So they declared her missing and the search was on for ‘Nigeria’s Sweetheart’. Nigerians all over the world joined her family and friends in fervent prayers for her safe return. Social and mainstream media went agog with the story and her case became a national prayer point.
Yesterday, our prayers were finally answered as she was found by men of the FCT Police command in Lugbe, an outskirt of Abuja and her kidnapper was also arrested. What was supposed to be kidnap story swiftly spun into a story of love laced with greed. As the story goes, it happened that the only people who were not happy with her quick discovery was Jessica Edionwele and her boyfriend turned kidnapper. According to the police, the young lady was found neatly tucked in the bosom of the man who has snatched her heart, soul and sanity. They were both patiently waiting for her father’s ransom to take their love to a whole different level. After all, you need money to make love merrier, especially when you are dating the daughter of an Abuja politician.

Love can be blind and foolish. If they were not blinded by love, why would anyone arrange such a sinister plan solely and in the Abuja for that matter? Were they foolish enough to think that her father would not involve the Nigerian police (who by the way have their headquarters in the same Abuja) and other security agencies? Or did they reason that the Nigerian Police was all about the inept bribe-receiving lot they show in Nollywood movies? Were they so dumb to think that kidnap schemes are arranged on top of a bed covered in a duvet of folly? So many questions that underline the depth of irrationality that love can drive people to.

We often find young people who are deeply in love doing one careless thing or the other in the name of love. But doing many reckless things at the same time for the sake of love has to be the height of romantic insanity. Firstly, you fall in love with someone with kidnapping traits. Secondly, you allowed yourself to be kidnapped by this person. Thirdly, you collaborate with him to extort your own father. After sending you to school with his hard earned money (assuming that Hon. Edionwele is not a corrupt politician) you still want to squeeze out his life and savings. Yes, her father could have died of heart attack or something. Do you know what it means for your daughter to be kidnapped?

Jessica Edionwele has changed our lives forever. She will go down history as the woman who was kidnapped with love. How far can you go for love? How foolish can you appear for love’s sake? I would love to hear from you.